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Road Junction Configurations and the Severity of Traffic Accidents in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Yoshifumi Wada

    (Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan)

  • Yasushi Asami

    (Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan)

  • Kimihiro Hino

    (Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan)

  • Hayato Nishi

    (Center for the Promotion of Social Data Science Education and Research, Hitotsubashi University, Kunitachi 186-8601, Japan)

  • Shino Shiode

    (Department of Geography, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK)

  • Narushige Shiode

    (Department of Geography, Geology and the Environment, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK)

Abstract

In many countries, 40–60% of the traffic accidents occur at junctions, making the reduction of junction accidents paramount to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals. In Japan, the road safety guidelines specify the proximity between junctions and non-perpendicular angles at junctions as the two main risk factors behind junction accidents, yet their impact remains understudied. Using binomial logistic regression models, this study investigates the impact of junction intervals and junction angles on the severity of traffic accidents. The study found that, in general, (1) shorter intervals between adjacent junctions helps reduce the risk of serious accidents, which is the opposite of the current road safety guidelines in Japan, and (2) results from the junction angle analysis were mixed but there was no evidence that the roads should meet at a right angle to reduce traffic accidents. Some types of accidents also returned a non-linear curve, e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle collisions at four-armed junctions involving a driver aged 65 years and over have the highest risk of fatal/serious accidents when adjacent junctions were 32 m apart, and the risk reduces at a shorter or longer interval. These results suggest that the current road safety guidelines require updating to improve road safety around junctions.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoshifumi Wada & Yasushi Asami & Kimihiro Hino & Hayato Nishi & Shino Shiode & Narushige Shiode, 2023. "Road Junction Configurations and the Severity of Traffic Accidents in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:2722-:d:1055692
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mostafa Sharafeldin & Ahmed Farid & Khaled Ksaibati, 2022. "A Random Parameters Approach to Investigate Injury Severity of Two-Vehicle Crashes at Intersections," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-13, October.
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