Abstract
Fatality rates in Kentucky have been higher than the national average for the past decade. Prior research postulated that the region’s unique socioeconomic conditions could provide a compelling explanation of the higher cash rates of the southeast in the US. This study examines the relationship between safety and socioeconomic characteristics using an extensive spatial analysis of crashes in Kentucky. Quasi-induced exposure technique was utilized to determine the crash propensity of different driver groups. Through a series of GIS techniques and spatial analysis, the relative accident involvement ratios were calculated for each group of drivers. The findings of the study concur with the previous findings between driving behavior and demographic factors such as age and gender. The study also attempted to explain the regional disparities in crash occurrence across the state in terms of economic status. The study concluded that the drivers residing in the Appalachian regions have a higher propensity to cause a crash, regardless of the age and gender of the driver. The findings of the study can be used to identify high risk counties for the Safety Circuit Rider (SCR) program in Kentucky.
Highlights
It is well documented that most of the traffic collisions factors contributing to the crash are assigned to driver (NHTSA, 2018)
The study analyzed crash data using quasi-induced exposure technique and through a series of GIS techniques to develop choropleth maps representing the risk of different driver groups at the county level
The results indicated that young drivers in two-unit crashes are more prevalent in low-income counties
Summary
It is well documented that most of the traffic collisions factors contributing to the crash are assigned to driver (NHTSA, 2018). There are though underlying factors that affect driver behavior resulting in a crash involvement. The socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the driver and their environment may influence their driving conduct and eventual crash involvement (Sagar, 2020). While crashes are highly dependent on the crash site characteristics, past research has demonstrated the influence of the socioeconomic features of the driver’s residence zip code on crash occurrence (Sagar, 2020; Sagar et al, 2020). Examining the socioeconomic and demographic features of the driver’s residence zip code would unveil critical information about the underlying factors that influence crash occurrence
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