How did the model deployments affect traveler safety? What was the best application for reducing crashes and saving lives?
The applications fielded during the model deployments had a generally positive impact on traveler safetywith some possible exceptions to be discussed in this section. Overall, the deployments illustrated three ways in which ITS improves traveler safety. Reducing the opportunity for a crash by removing adverse conditions. It has long been posited that traffic congestion, whether from over-saturated arterial traffic signals, increased freeway demands, or the occurrence of an initial roadway incident, significantly contributes to road-way crashes. Incident management studies show that as many as 50 percent of all freeway crashes are secondary, or the result of an initial roadway blockage.[5] Consequently, any ITS operation that can help restore conditions from congested operations (e.g., through faster incident clearance times or improved signal coordination) should reduce crash risk. Simulation modeling performed by the evaluation team indicates that San Antonios incident management syst
