“The current system looks at accident records and tries to predict problems,” Johnson said. “The problem with this is that they wait three years for 20 accidents and then have to wait longer to do something about it. We aim to find low-cost ways to predict a dangerous location before we get 20 accidents.” By proactively identifying dangerous sites, corrective actions can be taken at earlier stages and, hopefully, future accidents can be avoided.

Civil engineers scout out accident hazards to make roads safer

Runaway trailers are a little-known but persistent cause of crashes, deaths and injuries across the United States. The government doesn’t keep nationwide statistics on accidents caused by trailer decouplings. But a Los Angeles Times review of news reports and court files identified about 540 such crashes since 2000. They resulted in at least 164 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Runaway trailers a highway menace

An inspection by Syracuse city engineers finds that four poles that hold up traffic signals downtown are defective. That means they could come crashing down. This comes after one pole fell at Salina and Washington Streets on Wednesday.

Traffic Light Poles Deemed Dangerous