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Risk-Compensation Trends in Road Safety during COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Md Rakibul Islam

    (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA)

  • Mohamed Abdel-Aty

    (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA)

  • Zubayer Islam

    (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA)

  • Shile Zhang

    (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact, disrupting the normal trends of our everyday life. More specifically, the effects of COVID-19 on road safety are still largely unexplored. Hence, this study aims to investigate the change in road safety trends due to COVID-19 using real-time traffic parameters. Results from the extensive analyses of the 2017 to 2020 data of Interstate-4 show that traffic volume decreased by 13.6% in 2020 compared to the average of 2017–2019’s volume, whereas there is a decreasing number of crashes at the higher volume. Average speed increased by 11.3% during the COVID-19 period; however, the increase in average speed during the COVID-19 period has an insignificant relationship with crash severities. Fatal crashes increased, while total crashes decreased, during the COVID-19 period; severe crashes decreased with the total crashes. Alcohol-related crashes decreased by 22% from 2019 to 2020. Thus, the road-safety trend due to the impact of COVID-19 has evidently changed and presents a unique trend. The findings of the study suggest a larger need for a more in-depth study to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on road safety, to minimize fatalities on roads through appropriate policy measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Md Rakibul Islam & Mohamed Abdel-Aty & Zubayer Islam & Shile Zhang, 2022. "Risk-Compensation Trends in Road Safety during COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:9:p:5057-:d:800044
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    References listed on IDEAS

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