Application of GIS for Urban Traffic Accidents: A Critical Review

Abstract

The analysis of huge data is a complex task that cannot be executed without a proper system. Geographic information systems (GISs) have been used by many transportation agencies and police departments to analyze and manage urban traffic accident (UTA) data and for decision making aimed at decreasing accident rates and increasing safety. The exact location of accidents and environmental characteristics must be analyzed as UTAs occur in specific locations with specific characteristics. ArcGIS software is the best choice for obtaining meaningful information and analysis results from UTAs in an observational time span. GIS technology is a fundamental element for investigating and evaluating the complex spatial relationship among different components and urban traffic accident is one of them. Micro or macro analysis of UTAs through the spatial prospective within the geographical environment and urban structure can make a deep micro understanding of UTAs patterns in addition to assisting in decision making. UTAs can be considered complex events that occur in two aspects which are spatial and temporal or space and time in other word. A GIS can integrate more than two different and unrelated databases. The evaluation among different spatial objects in a geographical environment and associated factors in urban structure which are included but not limited to land use category, road transportation network qualification, population density, etc., is one of the GIS specification. Traffic safety organizations and UTA researchers use GISs as a key technology to support their research and operational needs. In particular, GIS-T is an often-used GIS application used for planning and decision-making in transportation.