Crash Blackspots - A Global Phenomenon

The World Health Organization (WHO) research shows that road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with around 1.3 million people killed and as many as 50 million people injured each year. For people aged 5-29 years, there is no greater thrreat to their lives. Globally, 1 of every 4 crash deaths occurs among pedestrians and cyclists. Reducing this shocking statistic is a key priority for the WHO and United Nations (UN) as part of their 'Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety'. To support this global plan, 15th to 21st May is the UN's 7th Global Road Safety Week, which TRL is proudly championing.

TRL is a world leader in transport safety and has developed products and expert services that have been proven to analyze, minimize and prevent road collisions.

To raise aware ness of Global Road Safety Week, TRL will be posting a series of blogs written by our in-house experts, focusing on topics that relate to a future in which transport is safe for everyone.

TRL Software's Shawon Aziz discusses how a data driven approach supported with a common methodology can be part of the long journey to eradicate crash blackspots. 

A road crash blackspot (often synonymously known as a crash hotspot) is a section of road where the frequency of the occurrence of crashes is comparatively higher than other road sections. Though there are several definitions of blackspots practised in different countries, despite being a global phenomenon, there is no consensus on the definition of a blackspot.

I have recently completed my PhD, which focused on a ‘rational approach to crash blackspot assessment’ with a case study from India. I tried to understand the spatial clustering tendency of crashes that leads to the formation of blackspots and further assessed the typology of blackspots.

During my research, I reviewed the published literature on this subject and found that the repeated occurrence of crashes at a particular location is not a random event, and such crash locations can be identified by several factors such as geometric design, traffic characteristics, surrounding land use, speed, etc.

Over time, various parameters have been adopted to optimise the efficiency of blackspot identification. An efficient crash recording and analysis system serves as one of the pivotal tools for any country attempting to tackle its blackspots on a rational basis. Well-recorded crash attributes help in determining the actual underlying pattern, which in turn enables various stakeholder departments, such as the police, civil works, health care services, etc., to prioritise their limited resources towards addressing the actual cause of crashes, reducing their frequent occurrence as well as severity.

The part of TRL I work for, TRL Software, has a globally recognised and widely used crash data management system called iMAAP, that has enabled various countries across the globe to adopt a crash data-led approach for rectifying blackspots. In addition to blackspot identification, the spatial analysis capabilities of iMAAP also enable the identification of high-risk routes (which experience various types of crashes in proximity) as well as vulnerable spots (which experience frequent occurrences of a particular collision type). Such analysis through iMAAP enables decision-makers to implement targeted mass action plans for vulnerable spots and route action plans for high-risk routes.

Moving beyond the blackspot approach...

The currently practised blackspot definitions primarily have two to three components: (i) number of crashes; (ii) length of blackspot; and (iii) period of observation (in years). However, this information is not good enough to correctly identify the underlying pattern of the formation of a blackspot. To understand this pattern, more crash attributes and location attributes need to be recorded, along with spatial coordinates. This data will not only help in understanding the typology of blackspots for a micro-analysis but also help practitioners adopt a corridor-based approach for a macro-analysis of the entire road network.

Collection of good-quality crash data will also encourage researchers and practitioners to adopt innovative methods to rectify the existing blackspots and prevent their further creation on the road network.

This road safety week let's pledge to address the problem of formation of blackspots on our roads and encourage innovative solutions to eradicate the same. I look forward to continuing to play my small part in supporting the UN and the World Health Organisation in realising their Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

To find out more about UN Global Road Safety week visit 7th UN Global Road Safety Week (who.int)and check out TRL’s social media for the next blog

If you would like to learn more about iMAAP or arrange a demo, drop us a line at hellosoftware@TRL.co.uk

About the Author

Dr. Shawon Aziz is a practising road safety professional and has significant international experience of 7 years in the field of road safety and traffic engineering. He is a civil engineer and has attained his postgraduate and doctorate degrees from the Department of Transport Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India.

His portfolio of projects includes road safety advisory services, road safety audits, capacity building in road agencies, highway design, and traffic engineering. He is associated with TRL, an innovation and research consultancy based in the United Kingdom and one of the very few global centres of excellence in road safety.

Shawon holds expertise in crash data analysis using iMAAP, road safety audits, and road safety assessment using iRAP methodology. Shawon also holds international experience, having worked on road safety projects in India, Georgia, Mongolia, Nepal, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.