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A Descriptive Analysis on the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Road Traffic Incidents in Sydney, Australia

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  • Sai Chand

    (Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia)

  • Ernest Yee

    (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia)

  • Abdulmajeed Alsultan

    (Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 16273, Saudi Arabia)

  • Vinayak V. Dixit

    (Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia)

Abstract

COVID-19 has had tremendous effects worldwide, resulting in large-scale death and upheaval. An abundance of studies have shown that traffic patterns have changed worldwide as working from home has become dominant, with many facilities, restaurants and retail services being closed due to the lockdown orders. With regards to road safety, there have been several studies on the reduction in fatalities and crash frequencies and increase in crash severity during the lockdown period. However, no scientific evidence has been reported on the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on traffic incident duration, a key metric for crash management. It is also unclear from the existing literature whether the impacts on traffic incidents are consistent across multiple lockdowns. This paper analyses the impact of two different COVID-19 lockdowns in Sydney, Australia, on traffic incident duration and frequency. During the first (31 March–28 April 2020) and second (26 June–31 August 2021) lockdowns, the number of incidents fell by 50% and 60%, respectively, in comparison to the same periods in 2018 and 2019. The proportion of incidents involving towing increased significantly during both lockdowns. The mean duration of crashes increased by 16% during the first lockdown, but the change was less significant during the subsequent lockdown. Crashes involving diversions, emergency services and towing saw an increase in the mean duration by 67%, 16%, and 47%, respectively, during the first lockdown. However, this was not reflected in the 2021 data, with only major crashes seeing a significant increase, i.e., by 58%. There was also a noticeable shift in the location of incidents, with more incidents recorded in suburban areas, away from the central business area. Our findings suggest drastic changes in incident characteristics, and these changes should be considered by policymakers in promoting a safer and more sustainable transportation network in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Sai Chand & Ernest Yee & Abdulmajeed Alsultan & Vinayak V. Dixit, 2021. "A Descriptive Analysis on the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Road Traffic Incidents in Sydney, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11701-:d:674014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brodeur, Abel & Cook, Nikolai & Wright, Taylor, 2021. "On the effects of COVID-19 safer-at-home policies on social distancing, car crashes and pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    2. Sai Chand & Emily Moylan & S. Travis Waller & Vinayak Dixit, 2020. "Analysis of Vehicle Breakdown Frequency: A Case Study of New South Wales, Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Muley, Deepti & Ghanim, Mohammad Shareef & Mohammad, Anas & Kharbeche, Mohamed, 2021. "Quantifying the impact of COVID–19 preventive measures on traffic in the State of Qatar," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 45-59.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sean G. Young, 2023. "Hidden Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic Response," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-7, April.
    2. Shahrin Islam & Armana Sabiha Huq & Sabah Hossain Iqra & Raas Sarker Tomal, 2023. "Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Road Safety in Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, February.

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    Keywords

    COVID-19; crashes; safety; duration;
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