Factors contributing to hit-and-run in fatal crashes

Hit-and-run in a collision is a punishable offence as it delays crash notification thereby delaying emergency response which increases the likelihood of traffic fatality. To obtain a better understanding of hit-and-run behavior, a logistic regression model has been applied in this study to identify the factors that might affect the occurrence of hit-and-run in fatal crashes in California, USA. Our results show that roadway functional class, routes, traffic flow, types of roadway section, speed limit, traffic control device, functioning of traffic control device, lighting condition, roadway alignment and roadway profile are important determinants that engineers can target to reduce hit-and-run in fatal crashes. In addition, targeted traffic enforcement should be performed on weekends and nighttime. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.