Assessing Traffic Conflicts Severity Through Simulated Collision Dynamics and Impact Analysis

Traffic conflict analysis is a crucial proactive approach for evaluating roadway safety, particularly at signalized intersections, which are inherently complex as a result of diverse road users, turning movements, and signal phases. This study introduces an integrated framework for assessing traffic conflict severity by integrating collision mechanisms into the analysis. Initially, the framework identifies conflict instances through time-to-collision using accurately represented vehicle polygons. It then evaluates collision mechanisms assuming no evasive actions are taken, extracting forces, kinetic energies (KE), angles of impact (AOI), and crash influence points at the anticipated collision time. Eight crash simulation scenarios using an authorized C1500 pickup truck model are performed. The results reveal that for equivalent KE values, head-on conflicts are significantly more severe compared with angle and rear-end conflicts, based on vehicle damage and sharp drops in KE postcollision. Analysis also shows that in angle crashes, the amount of energy absorbed increases with the AOI but decreases with higher precollision speeds. The proposed framework outperforms traditional methods like Delta-V by offering a more detailed assessment of energy absorption and severity. This method enhances intersection conflict analysis and can optimize resource allocation for effective safety measures at hazardous locations.