South Dakota needs to develop expected value analysis tables from accident data collected at random intersections located throughout the state. The values provide a standard for identifying abnormal accident characteristics in consideration of local roadways, drivers, and environmental conditions. The development and use of this statistical method could improve identification of serious safety problems at any intersection in South Dakota and could be used to determine if an intersection should be considered hazardous or not hazardous with relation to numbers of a particular type of accident.
South Dakota is a rural state with the majority of its rural highways having average daily traffic volumes of less than 3,000 vehicles per day. Eleven Class 1 Cities have populations ranging from 5,000 to 25,000. Two Class 1 Cities have populations of 55,000 and 110,000 respectively. A statistically valid sampling method needs to be developed to obtain intersection locations, characteristics, and other information necessary to create the expected value analysis tables for public roadways in South Dakota.