Relationships Between Accident Severity and Weather and Roadway Adherence Factors in Crashes Occurred in Different Type of Collisions

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This paper aims at identifying and analyzing the relationships between road accidents severity and various weather and adherence factors in the crashes occurred in different type of collisions. A three-year injury accident database is analyzed and several types of road crash risks are taken into consideration for accidents’ severity assessment. A Damage Severity Index (DSI) is also defined in order to assess the magnitude of the crash damages. Multiple linear regressions have been applied and tested on their global significance. Fatal Risk (FR), Serious Injury Risk (MGIR), Slight Injury Risk (MSIR) and Damage Severity Index (DSI) have been used as dependent variables in the following types of collisions: front – rear, sideswipe (hooking), rollover, and pedestrian hit, head-on, run–off and side collisions. Seven weather factors and eight road adherence conditions have been taken into consideration as explanatory variables and tested for their individual significance. In front-rear collisions, fog significantly explains the MGIR in a proportion of 54.90%. When the number of accidents that occur on fog conditions increase by two units, the seriously injury risk almost doubles its value. In sideswipe collisions, DSI increases on normal road and the FR is positively correlated with the icy roadway and negatively with the roads covered by black ice. The fatality risk FR from rollover collisions is the only variable that is explained by both weather and road adherence conditions. The fog and normal weather conditions explain its variation in a proportion of 61.80%. The number of monthly accidents that occurred on slippery roads and covered by black ice, explain the variation of FR in a proportion of 65.30%. The paper is only focused on studying the monthly accidents and shows which factors better explain the amplitude of the damages and several risks in different type of collisions. The results of this paper may help the insurance system and the Romanian road safety authorities to implement new driving training methods and counter measures in order to reduce the risks of injury and damages’ level.