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Virginia Tech

A System-wide Planning Tool to Evaluate Access from Crash Sites to Medical Facilities in Virginia

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Crash response planning is a vital component of emergency management and highway emergency response planning. Evaluation of coverage of medical facilities is required to determine adequate access from crash sites to medical facilities. This study proposes a proof of concept for a planning tool that evaluates fatal and serious injury crash response coverage from crash sites to medical facilities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Calculated travel times from fatal crash sites to medical facilities are compared with reported travel times to better estimate travel time modification factors. The modified travel times are used to determine coverage areas and evaluate serious injury crash response coverage of medical facilities in Virginia. A geo grid approach is used to demonstrate the proof of concept for a crash response planning tool. A risk grid is developed based on the aggregate number of fatal and serious injury crashes. This study includes serious injury crash response coverage because the number of serious injuries and serious injury rate are now included as reportable safety performance measures for state highway safety agencies. A mitigation grid is developed based on the travel time to the closest facility. Finally, a planning grid that combines risk and mitigation factors based on a decision matrix is presented. The resulting tool serves as a proof of concept for developing a crash response planning tool which enables planners to identify areas that do not have timely access from crash sites to medical facilities.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Civil Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2019

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Hajameeran, Alima Jafreen
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Hancock, Kathleen L.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Katz, Bryan J.
  • Rakha, Hesham A.

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:19181
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/88881

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Hajameeran, Alima Jafreen. A System-wide Planning Tool to Evaluate Access from Crash Sites to Medical Facilities in Virginia. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/88881