Traffic Safety Assessment of Crashes for Hurricane Evacuations

Major hurricanes, while relatively infrequent, have the potential for property destruction and loss of life. To counter these effects, regional mass evacuations are a common protective action taken by public officials. Unfortunately, crashes and fatal incidents have created the perception that mass evacuations may be more hazardous than the storms themselves. Because few studies have been conducted to assess traffic safety under hurricane evacuation conditions, the true level of risk remains uncertain. This study aimed to understand evacuation traffic safety by comparing crash statistics during these events to routine, non-evacuation periods. It is important to know how, where, and when safety issues arise so they can be mitigated and to build trust in evacuation recommendations when they are needed. The study was carried out using traffic volume and crash data from roads in Florida and Texas to identify how much evacuation crashes differed from routine, non-evacuation conditions. Among the findings of the work were that crashes were significantly lower during evacuations, despite the significantly higher volume. However, crash risk was higher during the period of storm conditions. These findings are important because they address the (incorrect) perception that evacuations are periods of danger and panic, and show where areas of increased risk may be addressed. These findings are valuable to both practitioners and researchers seeking to improve the safety and efficiency of traffic movement during emergency events.