Modeling Road Accidents Using Compound Road Environments

The main purpose of this paper is to present a methodology of using compound road environments in modeling of road accidents which was developed in a PhD study. The technique presented involves evaluating the influence of pavement surface properties in road accidents. Nowadays, the most common method of studying the influence of certain road features in accidents is to consider uniform road segments characterized by a unique feature. However, when an accident is related to the infrastructure, its cause is usually not a single road characteristic but rather a combination of characteristics. Therefore, the methodology presented here looks at the road as a complete environment, thereby overcoming the limitations inherent in considering only uniform road sections. The proposed methodology consists of: (i) dividing a sample of roads into segments; (ii) grouping them into quite homogeneous road environments using cluster analysis, considering characteristics like traffic, road geometry and weather conditions; (iii) identifying the influence of skid resistance and texture depth on road accidents in each environment by using generalized linear models; and (iv) validating the results by doing simulations in virtual scenarios with different pavement properties using PC-Crash software to reproduce vehicle crashes. In terms of implementing pavement maintenance programs, these results are of primary importance to determining threshold levels of skid resistance and texture depth. In terms of scientific knowledge, the cluster analysis used to identify road environments is an innovative and valid alternative way of choosing segments to be used in accident prediction models as it considers compound road environments instead of uniform ones.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conferences/2011/RSS/1/Fernandes,A.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Fernandes, Ana
  • Neves, José
  • 0000-0002-7131-7967
• Conference:
  • 3rd International Conference on Road Safety and Simulation
  • Location: Indianapolis Indiana, United States
  • Date: 2011-9-14 to 2011-9-16
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: 3rd International Conference on Road Safety and Simulation

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cluster analysis; Geometric design; Pavements; Simulation; Skid resistance; Texture; Traffic crashes; Weather conditions
• Identifier Terms: Pc-crash (Computer program)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01504308
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 24 2014 2:29PM