Blackspots Identification And Statistical Analysis Of Accident Frequency Data: Motorway (M-2) Lahore-Islamabad

Abstract

Highway Safety is one of the most important aspects of transportation engineering as traffic accidents are unavoidable in human life. Developing nations including Pakistan are faced with new dimension of highway safety challenges after the advent of motorways, safety management of motorways demand more meticulous addressal of safety issues due to involvement of high speed dynamics. This Study presents a method by which the accident-prone locations on roads, commonly termed as accident blackspots, can be identified. Motorway (M-2) connecting Lahore to Islamabad, one of the major motorways of Pakistan has been selected for study. The reasons for the accidents can be attributed to the lack of driving skill, lack of education, economic values, lack of signage, geometric design problems and improper design of pedestrian crossing. There are however, other factors, which contribute directly or indirectly to the accidents include road, vehicle, road user and environmental factors. After analysis it was found that, accidents are majorly caused by careless driving (25%), dozing at wheel (23%), tyre burst (18%), brake failure (9%) and pedestrian crossing (6%).A large number of accidents have been occurring over a small section of Kallar Kahar (Salt range) 221km to 229km, 8 km length due to a combination of 7% slope and less than 100m radii curves causing brake failure. Moreover, pedestrian accidents near Lahore from 0 km to 18 km are also making a range of blackspots. Realignment of salt range under different geometric design options with respect to economic feasibility has been discussed. Proper traffic guidance and control system to guide road users ensuring safe movement of vehicles has been recommended and some of the low cost facilities such as pedestrian crossings underpasses near Lahore, traffic calming techniques at salt range to maintain 40km/h speed temporarily(till realignment is done), dozing alert alarm to minimize dozing, tyre checking gauges to counter tyre burst, increase in emergency climbing at salt range to confront brake failure, and advertisement through print and electronic media to increase awareness have also been proposed in order to improve the safety of the road and minimize the accidents.