Many state agencies consider exclusive truck facilities to be an alternative to handle the safety and operational issues due to the increasing truck volumes. No such facilities exist, and there are no standard tools or procedures for measuring safety performance of an exclusive truck facility. This thesis aims at identifying factors that affect truck crashes, whose results could be used for better designing exclusive truck facilities. To accomplish the objectives of this thesis, five years’ roadway and crash data for Texas was collected to develop a comprehensive crash database. Negative binomial regression models were used to establish a relationship between truck crashes and various environmental, geometric and traffic variables. Separate models were developed for truck-related (involving at least one truck and another vehicle), truck-only (two trucks or more) and single-truck crashes. The results suggested that the percentage of trucks in Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT), classification of the roadway (Rural/Urban), posted speed limit, surface condition, alignment and shoulder width are associated with truck crashes. It was observed that truck-related and truck-only crashes decreased as the percentage of trucks increased on freeway facilities. Based on conclusions derived from the literature review and statistical analyses, straight segments with wider shoulders and uniform grades are recommended for exclusive truck facilities. It is also recommended to provide ramps, horizontal and vertical curvature and signing based on truck size, driver eye height, braking ability and maneuverability. These models were developed using mixed-flow traffic data to understand the association of various factors with truck crashes. These models should not be used directly to estimate or predict truck crashes. Further analysis with more detailed data under different flow conditions might help in quantifying the safety performance of exclusive truck facilities.

Many state agencies consider exclusive truck facilities to be an alternative to handle the safety and operational issues due to the increasing truck volumes. No such facilities exist, and there are no standard tools or procedures for measuring safety performance of an exclusive truck facility. This thesis aims at identifying factors that affect truck crashes, whose results could be used for better designing exclusive truck facilities. To accomplish the objectives of this thesis, five years' roadway and crash data for Texas was collected to develop a comprehensive crash database. Negative binomial regression models were used to establish a relationship between truck crashes and various environmental, geometric and traffic variables. Separate models were developed for truck-related (involving at least one truck and another vehicle), truck-only (two trucks or more) and single-truck crashes. The results suggested that the percentage of trucks in Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT), classification of the roadway (Rural/Urban), posted speed limit, surface condition, alignment and shoulder width are associated with truck crashes. It was observed that truck-related and truck-only crashes decreased as the percentage of trucks increased on freeway facilities. Based on conclusions derived from the literature review and statistical analyses, straight segments with wider shoulders and uniform grades are recommended for exclusive truck facilities. It is also recommended to provide ramps, horizontal and vertical curvature and signing based on truck size, driver eye height, braking ability and maneuverability. These models were developed using mixed-flow traffic data to understand the association of various factors with truck crashes. These models should not be used directly to estimate or predict truck crashes. Further analysis with more detailed data under different flow conditions might help in quantifying the safety performance of exclusive truck facilities.