CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE LVIV REGION DURING 2019–2023

Abstract

Current trends in the development and modernisation of transportation systems focus on safety. However, it is worth conducting an in-depth analysis of data related to traffic safety factors to maximise the safety emphasis in future strategies. This approach concentrates the efforts of engineers and scientists primarily on combating the causes of road accidents rather than their consequences, as is often the case today. The object of research in this article is the street and road network of Lviv region, as it is necessary to take into account the regional aspects of traffic and their differences in the country’s regions, given the density of streets and roads, climatic and hydrometeorological conditions, as well as the typology of roads. One of the scientific problems that the study’s results can partially solve is to identify time patterns and dynamics of changes in the number of road accidents in the Lviv region and compare the results with the targets set out in strategic documents in the field of road safety in Ukraine. The article analyses the data on the number of road traffic accidents in the region from 2019 to 2023. At the same time, it carries out the statistical distribution of traffic accidents by the causes of their occurrence. We also account for the time aspect – a breakdown by time of day and days of the week, including the general trend over the past years. We established that the dynamics of the number and severity of road accidents for the period under consideration is negative; however, the patterns of their occurrence persist, which explains the positive statistical result obtained due to quantitative but not qualitative factors affecting traffic safety. The results obtained are of more value from an engineering and scientific point of view, particularly in comparison with traffic accident statistics disseminated on information resources or social media. The analysis conducted in this article allows us to identify problematic areas in the functioning of both the bodies that ensure the safety and organisation of road traffic and transport systems. Keywords: road safety, road traffic accident, accident rate, transport systems.