Does ramp signaling make the freeway safer?
Generally speaking, with the implementation of ramp signals freeway crashes have been measurably reduced according to before and after studies. The Minnesota Department of Transportation conducted a study of freeway conditions with their ramp signals turned off. All 430 ramp signals in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area were turned off for six weeks in the fall of 2000, and the results show a definite safety benefit in favor of ramp signals. With the ramp signals turned off, there was a 26% increase in crashes – rear-end crashes were up by almost 15%, “run off the road” crashes increased by 60%, and sideswipe crashes were up 200%. Research shows that most freeway crashes occur during stop-and-go traffic conditions by inattentive drivers. Ramp signaling provides a smoother flow of traffic, which minimizes this problem.
