Development and Application of Crash Modification Factors

Improvement of work zone safety is a significant challenge for engineering practitioners. One tool that can be used to improve work zone safety involves the use of work zone Crash Modification Factors (CMFs). CMFs represent the relative change in crash frequency due to implementation of a particular countermeasure or change in a particular highway condition or site. CMFs fulfill a specific need to quantify safety benefits of possible work zone countermeasures. By using CMFs, the safety benefits of implementing work zone countermeasures can be weighed against various other tradeoffs such as implementation costs, operational impacts, and public acceptance to assist practitioners in deciding if a work zone countermeasure should be implemented. This training will provide practitioners with an improved understanding of how CMFs can be used as a tool to help improve work zone safety and researchers with information on the need for additional work zone CMFs and the processes used for their development.