TY - JOUR
T1 - Formal scientific research of traffic collision data utilizing GIS
AU - Arthur, Robert M.
AU - Waters, Nigel M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to the City of Calgary, Police Services Traffic Division, specifically, traffic analyst Cam Nelson, for the collision report data set and for all the information and advice that he supplied through numerous conversations. We would also like to acknowledge partial funding of this project through the generous grants given by the Canadian Transportation Research Forum and AM/FM International.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - This paper explores the tenuous link between speeding behavior and accident causation, one that has not been well established in the international literature to date. Taking advantage of established engineering conventions and formulae, we were able to set up an a priori hypothesis suitable for testing. Utilizing this formal scientific method (which GIS researchers have been criticised for not using) we establish a statistical link for this relationship. Our methodology can be used to support all police intervention strategies, including the controversial photo radar systems. The results from our research have been entered into a GIS in order to create a map for spatial display. This map illustrates the relative probability or risk of collision occurrence resulting from speeding at all intersections and interchanges within the scope of the study. It is suggested that this methodology could easily be maintained with periodic updates of data, thus creating a dynamic model from which to monitor traffic safety within the city. Furthermore, this model can be utilized to study specific strategies, allowing for the scrutiny of before, during and after effects. The study area is the entire city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and includes all traffic collisions occurring during the year of 1994.
AB - This paper explores the tenuous link between speeding behavior and accident causation, one that has not been well established in the international literature to date. Taking advantage of established engineering conventions and formulae, we were able to set up an a priori hypothesis suitable for testing. Utilizing this formal scientific method (which GIS researchers have been criticised for not using) we establish a statistical link for this relationship. Our methodology can be used to support all police intervention strategies, including the controversial photo radar systems. The results from our research have been entered into a GIS in order to create a map for spatial display. This map illustrates the relative probability or risk of collision occurrence resulting from speeding at all intersections and interchanges within the scope of the study. It is suggested that this methodology could easily be maintained with periodic updates of data, thus creating a dynamic model from which to monitor traffic safety within the city. Furthermore, this model can be utilized to study specific strategies, allowing for the scrutiny of before, during and after effects. The study area is the entire city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and includes all traffic collisions occurring during the year of 1994.
KW - Geographic Information System (GIS)
KW - Scientific method
KW - Speeding behavior
KW - Traffic collision
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031355421&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0031355421&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03081069708717604
DO - 10.1080/03081069708717604
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0031355421
SN - 0308-1060
VL - 21
SP - 121
EP - 137
JO - Transportation Planning and Technology
JF - Transportation Planning and Technology
IS - 1-2
ER -