لخّصلي

Traffic accidents have become a major concern for all segments of society. It has grown to be one of the most significant issues that affect both human and material resources. In addition, it resulted in social and psychological issues and enormous material losses caused. It also requires society to commit to solutions and put them into practice to reduce this phenomenon or at least evaluate the treatment of its causes and reduce its impact .. The most significant factor are related to the driver (the human element), who intervenes in a bigger proportion, the road and the vehicle (Peden et al. 2004; WHO, 2015, 2018).Around 3,700 people die per day worldwide in accidents involving vehicle and vulnerable road users and up to 50 million are injured. In low-income countries compared to high-income countries, the crash death rate is higher more than three times (WHO, 2015, 2018). Furthermore, road traffic accident is ranked the tenth-highest cause of deaths worldwide and the top ranked cause of death by injury (Peden et al. 2004; WHO, 2015, 2018). In recent years, identifying hazardous road sections has become a matter of serious concern for transportation safety professionals and policy makers around the world. Accurate identification of these sections can significantly contribute to improving road safety, preventing accidents, and ultimately saving lives. To achieve this, international organizations collect comprehensive data and statistics on accident rates, enabling the development of safety performance measures that help identify dangerous road segments and prioritize them for targeted interventions.

Incident rates and international organizations:
International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Transport Forum (ITF), and national road safety agencies have played an active role in collecting and analyzing accident data from different countries and regions. By collecting and harmonizing this information, they create a global perspective on road safety.

Identifying dangerous road sections:
One of the primary goals of studying accident rates is to accurately identify dangerous parts of the road. The accident rate on these sections is usually much higher compared to the average road network. By focusing resources on these areas, authorities can implement targeted safety interventions and reduce the likelihood of accidents.
To identify dangerous road sections, safety performance measures are developed based on analysis of accident data. These measures take into account several factors, such as the number of accidents, severity of injuries, types of vehicles involved, road conditions, and other contributing factors. By analyzing these variables, authorities can identify specific locations with a higher probability of accidents and prioritize them to improve safety.

Safety performance measures often include indicators such as

1. Collision Frequency: Measures the number of accidents that occur during a specific period at a specific location. Areas with consistently high crash frequencies are prime candidates for safety-enhancing interventions


2. Severity Index: This index takes into account the severity of accidents, including deaths, injuries, and property damage. Locations with a high risk index indicate an urgent need for interventions to reduce the impact of accidents


3. Traffic volume analysis: Analysis of traffic volume passing through specific sections helps identify areas where accident rates may be affected by congestion or other traffic patterns


4. Evaluation of road condition: Evaluating the physical condition of the road, including the quality of pavement, signage, lighting and other infrastructure elements, can help identify hazardous areas that need improvement. By using these safety performance metrics, transport authorities and policy makers can make data-driven decisions and efficiently allocate resources to enhance road safety in identified hazardous sections.