Research Reports

Traffic concerns, especially truck traffic and road safety, have been identified in a number of studies in the Marcellus Shale region. The number of additional trucks on the roads and the increased traffic due to gas worker transportation have raised significant concerns about the increased potential for accidents. Two recently published studies directly related to traffic and road safety are reviewed. This research describes three indicators of traffic - total crashes, heavy truck crashes, and crashes with fatalities. Overall, the findings suggest that the most rural counties in the northern tier experiencing the highest levels of development had increased absolute numbers and rates of total crashes and heavy truck crashes. These findings are consistent with previous studies.