Spatial pattern identification and crash severity analysis of road traffic crash hot spots in Ohio

Abstract

Safety experts and transportation departments are focused on reducing road accidents and their societal and economic effects. The most crucial step in establishing a successful road safety practice is identifying dangerous highway zones through the study of crashes and looking at how the location of accidents relates to surrounding geography and other factors. Using the latest cutting-edge GIS analytical methods, this study aims to map the locations of accident hot spots and evaluate the severity and spatial extent of crash occurrences in Ohio. Road traffic crash (RTC) data has been analyzed using sophisticated GIS-based hot spot analysis for decades by safety researchers. Using four years' worth of crash data from the state of Ohio and spatial autocorrelation analysis, this study aims to show how a GIS technique can be used to find places where accidents are likely to happen (2017–2020). The study analyzed and ranked crash hotspot areas using the matching severity levels of RTCs. Cluster zones of high and low crash severity were discovered using the spatial autocorrelation tool and the Getis Ord Gi* statistics tool to evaluate the distribution of RTCs. The analysis used Getis Ord Gi*, the crash severity index, and Moran's I spatial autocorrelation of accident events. The findings indicated that these techniques were useful for identifying and rating crash hotspot locations. Since the sites of the identified accident hotspots are located in significant cities in the state of Ohio, such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Columbus, the organizations in charge of traffic management should make it their top priority to minimize the negative socioeconomic impact that RTCs have and should also conduct a thorough investigation. This study's contribution is the incorporation of crash severity into hot spot analysis using GIS, which could lead to better-informed decision-making in the realm of highway safety.