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Kalantari M, Zanganeh Shahraki S, Yaghmaei B, Ghezelbash S, Ladaga G, Salvati L. Unraveling Urban Form and Collision Risk: The Spatial Distribution of Traffic Accidents in Zanjan, Iran. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18094498. [PMID: 33922679 PMCID: PMC8122926 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Official statistics demonstrate the role of traffic accidents in the increasing number of fatalities, especially in emerging countries. In recent decades, the rate of deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents in Iran, a rapidly growing economy in the Middle East, has risen significantly with respect to that of neighboring countries. The present study illustrates an exploratory spatial analysis' framework aimed at identifying and ranking hazardous locations for traffic accidents in Zanjan, one of the most populous and dense cities in Iran. This framework quantifies the spatiotemporal association among collisions, by comparing the results of different approaches (including Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), Natural Breaks Classification (NBC), and Knox test). Based on descriptive statistics, five distance classes (2-26, 27-57, 58-105, 106-192, and 193-364 meters) were tested when predicting location of the nearest collision within the same temporal unit. The empirical results of our work demonstrate that the largest roads and intersections in Zanjan had a significantly higher frequency of traffic accidents than the other locations. A comparative analysis of distance bandwidths indicates that the first (2-26 m) class concentrated the most intense level of spatiotemporal association among traffic accidents. Prevention (or reduction) of traffic accidents may benefit from automatic identification and classification of the most risky locations in urban areas. Thanks to the larger availability of open-access datasets reporting the location and characteristics of car accidents in both advanced countries and emerging economies, our study demonstrates the potential of an integrated analysis of the level of spatiotemporal association in traffic collisions over metropolitan regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Kalantari
- Department of Human Geograhy and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, 1613778314 Tehran, Iran;
| | | | - Bamshad Yaghmaei
- Department of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, 1613778314 Tehran, Iran;
| | - Somaye Ghezelbash
- Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, 1613778314 Tehran, Iran;
| | - Gianluca Ladaga
- Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro (INAIL), Viale Vincenzo Verrastro 3/C, I-85100 Potenza, Italy;
| | - Luca Salvati
- Department of Economics and Law, University of Macerata, Via Armaroli 43, I-62100 Macerata, Italy;
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Approaching Bike Hazards via Crowdsourcing of Volunteered Geographic Information. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12177015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Information on individual hazard perception while cycling and the associated feeling of safety are key aspects to foster sustainable urban cycling mobility. Although cyclist’s perceptions must also be critically reviewed, such crowdsourced Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) provides wide-ranging insights on diverse hazard categories in cycling. In this case study in the city of Freiburg, Germany, hazard perceptions, information about lane types, and the underlying routes were crowdsourced via an open source smartphone application by a small group with the aim of providing cyclists with effective solutions. By dealing with levels of reliability, we show that even a small group of laypersons can generate an extensive and valuable set of VGI consisting of comprehensive hazard categories. We demonstrate that (1) certain hazards are interlinked to specific lane types, and (2) the individual hazard perceptions and objective parameters, i.e., accident data, are often congruent spatially; consequently, (3) dangerous hot spots can be derived. By considering cyclists’ needs, this approach outlines how a people-based perspective can supplement regional planning on the local scale.
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Challenges Caused by Increased Use of E-Powered Personal Mobility Vehicles in European Cities. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su12010273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Increased use of e-powered personal mobility vehicles is usually considered to be a positive change, while it is generally agreed that Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) effectively and efficiently reduce the negative environmental impacts of transport and improve quality of life. There has been great technological progress made by all sectors in the field of personal mobility during the last decade. The use of PMVs for micro-mobility have been welcomed by the market, consumers, and governments and thus they are becoming increasingly popular in modern European society. New technology-driven PMVs provide opportunities to their users, but at the same time create problems with street space sharing, road safety, and traffic offenses. This study gives an overview of recent types of PMVs, offers some insights into upcoming changes and challenges, and raises a discussion on themes related to the increased use of e-powered personal transporters.
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Integrating Spatial and Temporal Approaches for Explaining Bicycle Crashes in High-Risk Areas in Antwerp (Belgium). SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11133746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The majority of bicycle crash studies aim at determining risk factors and estimating crash risks by employing statistics. Accordingly, the goal of this paper is to evaluate bicycle–motor vehicle crashes by using spatial and temporal approaches to statistical data. The spatial approach (a weighted kernel density estimation approach) preliminarily estimates crash risks at the macro level, thereby avoiding the expensive work of collecting traffic counts; meanwhile, the temporal approach (negative binomial regression approach) focuses on crash data that occurred on urban arterials and includes traffic exposure at the micro level. The crash risk and risk factors of arterial roads associated with bicycle facilities and road environments were assessed using a database built from field surveys and five government agencies. This study analysed 4120 geocoded bicycle crashes in the city of Antwerp (CA, Belgium). The data sets covered five years (2014 to 2018), including all bicycle–motorized vehicle (BMV) crashes from police reports. Urban arterials were highlighted as high-risk areas through the spatial approach. This was as expected given that, due to heavy traffic and limited road space, bicycle facilities on arterial roads face many design problems. Through spatial and temporal approaches, the environmental characteristics of bicycle crashes on arterial roads were analysed at the micro level. Finally, this paper provides an insight that can be used by both the geography and transport fields to improve cycling safety on urban arterial roads.
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Kestens Y, Winters M, Fuller D, Bell S, Berscheid J, Brondeel R, Cantinotti M, Datta G, Gauvin L, Gough M, Laberee K, Lewis P, Lord S, Luan H(H, McKay H, Morency C, Muhajarine N, Nelson T, Ottoni C, Stephens ZP, Pugh C, Rancourt G, Shareck M, Sims-Gould J, Sones M, Stanley K, Thierry B, Thigpen C, Wasfi R. INTERACT: A comprehensive approach to assess urban form interventions through natural experiments. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:51. [PMID: 30630441 PMCID: PMC6327503 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-6339-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urban form interventions can result in positive and negative impacts on physical activity, social participation, and well-being, and inequities in these outcomes. Natural experiment studies can advance our understanding of causal effects and processes related to urban form interventions. The INTErventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) is a pan-Canadian collaboration of interdisciplinary scientists, urban planners, and public health decision makers advancing research on the design of healthy and sustainable cities for all. Our objectives are to use natural experiment studies to deliver timely evidence about how urban form interventions influence health, and to develop methods and tools to facilitate such studies going forward. METHODS INTERACT will evaluate natural experiments in four Canadian cities: the Arbutus Greenway in Vancouver, British Columbia; the All Ages and Abilities Cycling Network in Victoria, BC; a new Bus Rapid Transit system in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and components of the Sustainable Development Plan 2016-2020 in Montreal, Quebec, a plan that includes urban form changes initiated by the city and approximately 230 partnering organizations. We will recruit a cohort of between 300 and 3000 adult participants, age 18 or older, in each city and collect data at three time points. Participants will complete health and activity space surveys and provide sensor-based location and physical activity data. We will conduct qualitative interviews with a subsample of participants in each city. Our analysis methods will combine machine learning methods for detecting transportation mode use and physical activity, use temporal Geographic Information Systems to quantify changes to urban intervention exposure, and apply analytic methods for natural experiment studies including interrupted time series analysis. DISCUSSION INTERACT aims to advance the evidence base on population health intervention research and address challenges related to big data, knowledge mobilization and engagement, ethics, and causality. We will collect ~ 100 TB of sensor data from participants over 5 years. We will address these challenges using interdisciplinary partnerships, training of highly qualified personnel, and modern methodologies for using sensor-based data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Kestens
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Meghan Winters
- Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Daniel Fuller
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NF A1C 5S7 Canada
| | - Scott Bell
- University of Saskatchewan, 105 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2 Canada
| | - Janelle Berscheid
- University of Saskatchewan, 105 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2 Canada
| | - Ruben Brondeel
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Michael Cantinotti
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boulevard des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7 Canada
| | - Geetanjali Datta
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Lise Gauvin
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Margot Gough
- University of Saskatchewan, 105 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2 Canada
| | - Karen Laberee
- Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Paul Lewis
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Sébastien Lord
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Hui ( Henry) Luan
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, NF A1C 5S7 Canada
| | - Heather McKay
- University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Catherine Morency
- Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4 Canada
| | - Nazeem Muhajarine
- University of Saskatchewan, 105 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2 Canada
| | - Trisalyn Nelson
- Arizona State University, PO Box 875302, Tempe, AZ 85287-5302 USA
| | - Callista Ottoni
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boulevard des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7 Canada
| | - Zoe Poirier Stephens
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Caitlin Pugh
- Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Gabrielle Rancourt
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Martin Shareck
- University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8 Canada
| | - Joanie Sims-Gould
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boulevard des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7 Canada
| | - Meridith Sones
- Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Kevin Stanley
- University of Saskatchewan, 105 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2 Canada
| | - Benoit Thierry
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
| | - Calvin Thigpen
- Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Edouard Montpetit Blvd, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4 Canada
| | - Rania Wasfi
- École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal / Centre de recherche du CHUM, Pavillon S, Tour St–Antoine – 850 St–Denis – S03–280 –, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9 Canada
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