Final answer:
Highway accidents typically occur at high traffic intersections, areas with frequent driver error, and along commercial corridors. The occurrence of accidents at these locations is often high enough to warrant the installation of additional traffic control measures. Historical data also shows a shift in the leading causes of accidental death, indicating evolving risk factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Highway accidents occur most frequently in areas where traffic is dense, such as at intersections with insufficient signals, along high traffic areas, and at spots known for frequent driver error. A particularly compelling reason to enhance road safety measures is when the number of accidents significantly exceeds normal levels, indicating that current traffic control methods are inadequate. For example, an intersection where a traffic accident happens at least three times a month, and tragically includes fatalities, clearly necessitates the installation of a traffic signal. Moreover, driver error is a major cause of traffic accidents, as evidenced by data from the American Automobile Association, which states that driver error accounts for approximately 54 percent of all fatal auto accidents.
Over time, risk factors for accidents can change, as shown by historical data revealing that motor vehicle crashes were once a leading cause of accidental death, only to be surpassed by drug overdoses in recent years. Nonetheless, concentrating on transportation safety remains critical, as hot spot maps of car thefts and crashes suggest that areas with higher vehicle flow and commercial activity continue to pose greater risks. Therefore, road safety improvements and interventions are often determined by cost-benefit analysis and statistical models such as the Speed-choice model to optimize the efficacy of highway improvements and traffic signal installations.