The Analysis of Traffic Accidents in Erzurum Province and Its Districts Through Use of Geographical Information Systems

Journal of Traffic and Logistics Engineering Vol. 3, No. 2, December 2015

Ahmet Tortum1, Hümeyra Bolakar2, M. Yasin Çodur3, and Nuriye Kabakuş1 1Engineering Faculty, Civil Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey 2Engineering Faculty, Civil Engineering Department, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey 3Engineering Faculty, Civil Engineering Department, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, Turkey Email: {atortum, nsirin}@atauni.edu.tr; [email protected] ; [email protected]

Abstract—This study analyzes the traffic accidents in found to be high in sparsely populated districts and to be districts of Erzurum Province through the use of GIS. In inversely proportional to the income [1]. this regard, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Terzi and Karaşahin, in their study, stated the considered as useful and most comprehensive systems have importance of GIS in transportation engineering. They been used. The foremost and the essential part of this study have provided information on the usability of GIS for comprises of the creation of the spatial database and the data inquiry. District map of Erzurum has been digitized studies ranging from the analysis of traffic accidents to and transferred into GIS medium and number of traffic inventories, from transportation planning to junction accidents in each district have been shown on the map by control [2]. In a study carried out in Harris district of the category to which they belong. In this way, the districts Texas, motor vehicle collisions which took place between with the most traffic accidents and injuries can be located 1996 and 2000 have been investigated temporally and visually on the map. The purpose of this study is to highlight spatially. In this study, a GIS has been developed based  the use of GIS to ensure the traffic safety. on Bayesian approach for inner city motor vehicle collision analyses [3]. Index Terms—road traffic accident, geographic information GIS provides great convenience in decision-making in systems, injury particular. Yet, it is possible to obtain visual information using the continuous maps. Major factors may be I. INTRODUCTION estimated through the creation of lots of scenarios. In addition, when the mouse is located on the graphic, the

About 500 000 people are killed in road traffic database which belongs to that particular point (if any) is accidents across all the countries in the world. Traffic shown to the user. Data may be updated continuously and accidents are among the major issues of the world communicated with other institutions through internet. because of this high rate of death. The number of people Thus, repetitive operations may be prevented between who die in traffic accidents is huge in Turkey compared institutions and the transparency may be improved. By to the other countries. The major and responsible factor doing like this, the number of staff may be decreased, the for this incident is that the factors causing the accident cost may be reduced and the production speed may be cannot be determined. increased. In addition, perhaps most important, the Traffic accidents vary with respect to location and time. quality of the work carried out is improved. Additionally, human factors must not be disregarded. The current study analyzes the traffic accidents in That means it is an indication of the dependency of traffic accidents upon different reasons to come from different districts of Erzurum Province through the use of GIS. In socio-economic environments, to have different the current study, traffic accident maps have been educations, to be in different age and gender. obtained for Erzurum and its districts thanks to GIS Given the examples in countries where important Software. improvements have been recorded in traffic safety aiming at the decrease in traffic accidents, it was seen that these II. MATERIALS AND METHOD countries carry out a series of studies through A. Material multipurpose investigations. In a study carried out by Erzurum, the study site; is the largest city of Eastern Baker et al., the number of people in United States of Anatolia Region with an area of 25.066 km2 and a America who have motor vehicles have been estimated population of 780.847, and it is quite an ancient locality. based upon the death rate, these have been mapped It includes the districts Erzurum (central district), Aşkale, according to districts for 48 states. The mortality has been Çat, Hınıs, Horasan, Ilıca, İspir, Karaçoban, Karayazı, Köprüköy, Narman, Oltu, Olur, Pasinler, Pazaryolu,

Manuscript received February 1, 2015; revised April 12, 2015. Şenkaya, Tekman, Tortum and Uzundere. This study

utilizes the data of accidents involving death, injury and material damage belonging the years 2012 - 2013 (Table

I). Study material consists of statistics from General Directorate of Security (EGM), Turkish Statistical Institution (TÜİK), 12. Regional Directorate of Highways, Erzurum Traffic Registration and Supervision Bureau [4], [5]. B. Geographical Information Systems Geographical Information Systems (GIS); are computer aided systems in which spatial information; are acquired, stored, displayed, analyzed, graphical (geometrical) and database information (attribute) may be utilized in a relational manner, access to the requested information is provided by way of inquiry/analysis and the resulting information may be visualized. GIS contributes to the solution of management, planning and analysis problems through the integration of data from Figure 2. Map of the accidents involving death for Erzurum Province different sources information. Functions of GIS are listed below; 1) Maps, aerial photographs, satellite images and other sources for data input. 2) Data storage, re-use of date for different purposes and inquiry. 3) Data conversion, analysis and modeling. 4) Data report preparation (maps, report and plans) [6]. The data for this study contains that of years 2012 and 2013. The source for the data used is Traffic Accident Reports and the data were transferred into computer environme nt after these reports were reviewed. The data were evaluated separately after this stage. Traffic accidents which took place in Erzurum and its districts have been handled in detail during evaluation and the accidents involving deaths and material damages have Figure 3. Map for the number of males who have been killed in the been reviewed. As a result, district map of Erzurum have accidents in Erzurum Province been digitized and transferred into Geographical Information Systems medium and number of traffic accidents in each district have been shown on the map by the category to which they belong. In this way, the districts with the most traffic accidents involving material damages and injuries have been located visually on the map.

Figure 4. Map for the number of females who have been killed in the accidents in Erzurum Province

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Maps for the accidents which took place in 2012

obtained in GIS medium are given below (Fig. 1- Fig. 6).

Given the number of accidents involving death which Figure 1. Map of the accidents involving injuries for Erzurum Province took place in districts of Erzurum in 2012, it was seen

that most accidents had taken place in central district and district. More female drivers are involved in the accidents Pasinler district had followed it. The most accident in the central district as a result of the socio-economic involving injuries took place in the central district due to situation and development level. its traffic volume.

Figure 7. Map of the accidents involving death for Erzurum Province

Figure 5. Map for the number of males injured in the accidents in Erzurum Province

Figure 8. Map of the accidents involving injuries for Erzurum Province

Figure 6. Map for the number of females injured in the accidents in Erzurum Province

As a result, lots of parameters such as socio-economic status, traffic volume, development index and curve situation of the road have influenced on the accidents involving material damage and injuries. Given the maps by the gender of casualties, it was seen that most deceased males had died in Pasinler. Number of curves on the roads were quite few in Pasinler. Since the route of the road is straight ahead, the violation of speed limits by the drivers caused the increased number of deaths in this district. Given the map for the number of deceased females, the most deceased females died in the central Figure 9. Map for the number of males who have been killed in the district. Given the socio-economic situation, population, accidents in Erzurum Province development level, number of registered vehicles, it is unavoidable that the most accidents involving injuries When the 2013 data were reviewed, with regard to the took place in the central district. Since the number of number of accidents, it was seen that the central district male drivers is more than that of female drivers, the rate had been in the first place and Pasinler had been in the of which males are involved in the accident is higher. second place. Because Pasinler has a straight route, it was Given the map for injured females in 2012, it was seen the district in which most accidents occurred after the that the most injured females had been in the central Central District. Maps for the accidents which took place

in 2013 obtained in GIS medium are given below. The IV. CONCLUSION number of deceased and injured males and females is the This study highlights the use of GIS for the most in the Central District in the year 2013 as in the year visualization and inquiry of the number of traffic 2012. On district basis, it was seen that most people was accidents. It became easier to access to the results both injured in Pasinler district. This is a natural result of route faster and visually thanks to the use of GIS in this manner. of the road and the curve status of the road. Maps The factors having an influence on the Traffic obtained in GIS medium are given below (Fig. 7- Fig. 12). accidents vary with respect to time and location [7]. So, a solution which is applicable to somewhere may not be applicable to other location or it may not be more effective. Erzurum province has been separated into 19 zones on a district basis to be able to find more realistic solutions to traffic accidents which are of a complex nature. When the obtained maps were reviewed thanks to GIS, it was seen that the most accidents took place in the central district. When the accidents which took place in districts of Erzurum were reviewed, it was seen that the most accidents involving material damage had been in the central district. This situation has been caused by traffic volume, population, development level, increased number of vehicle owners due to the influence of socio-economic

level. When reviewed on a district basis, number of Figure 10. Map for the number of females who have been killed in the accidents involving material damage is excessive in accidents in Erzurum Province proportion to its population. Increased number of accidents in this district is a natural result of closeness to the central district, geometric properties of the road and violation of speed limits by drivers. When the maps obtained within the study were reviewed, it may work to increase the number of supervisions, to reduce the speed limit, to develop traffic awareness among people in order to reduce the number of accidents. The use of GIS for decision support purposes for the planning and managerial issues takes an important place in the studies of traffic accident analysis. It is considered that both the workforce and the economy would benefit if the real reasons of the accidents are found and correct solutions are proposed. It is estimated that statistical information which can not be obtained before can be used for the analysis of the

accidents and that these will be effective for the Figure 11. Map for the number of males injured in the accidents in determination of the real reasons for the accidents [8]. Erzurum Province

REFERENCES [1] S. P. Baker, R. A. Whitfield, and B. O’Neil, “Geographic variations in mortality from motor vehicle crashes” The New England Journal of Medicine,” vol. 316, no. 22, pp. 1384-1387, 1987. [2] S. Terzi and M. Karaşahin, “Ulaştırma mühendisliğinde coğrafi bilgi sistemleri kullanımı,” in Proc. Fourth GAP Engineering Congress, Mühendislik Kongresi, Şanlıurfa, 2002. [3] L. Li, L. Zhu and D. Z. Sui, “A GIS- based Bayesian approach for analyzing spatial-temporal patterns of intra motor vehicle crashes,” Journal of Transport Geography, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 274-285, 2007. [4] Anonymous. Statistics on Traffic Accidents, Council of Statistics of Turkey, TUIK. (2012). Ankara, Turkey. [Online]. Available: www.tuik.gov.tr. [5] Anonymous. Statistics on Traffic Accidents, Council of Statistics of Turkey, TUIK. (2013). Ankara, Turkey. [Online]. Available: www.tuik.gov.tr. [6] E. K. Foote and M. Lynch, “Georaphic information systems as an integrating technology: Context, concepts and definations,” The Figure 12. Map for the number of females injured in the accidents in Geographer’s Craft Project, Department of Geograpy, University Erzurum Province of Texas at Austin, 1996.

[7] A. Atalay, “Spatial and temporal analysis of traffic accident in Networks in her Master Thesis (2014) Her supervisor in doctorate is Turkey,” Ph.D. dissertation, Civil Eng., Ataturk University, Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Tortum. Erzurum, Turkey, 2010. She is member Civil Engineer Chamber in Erzurum in Turkey. [8] H. Bolakar, “Modellıng traffic accidents with artificial neural networks: The erzurum case,” M.S. thesis, Civil Eng., Ataturk Muhammed Yasin Çodur was born in University, Erzurum, Turkey, 2014. Erzurum in Turkey. He has a doctorate Transportation Discipline in Civil Engineering Ahmet Tortum was born in Erzurum, Turkey. Department from Ataturk University. He is an He has a doctorate Transportation Discipline Assistant Professor and President of in Civil Engineering Department from Ataturk Transportation Discipline in Civil Engineering University. He has been working an Associate Department at Erzurum Technical University Professor in Civil Engineering Department at in Turkey. Ataturk University in Erzurum in Turkey. He His primary research expertise is Car is President of Transportation Discipline in Ownership in his Master Thesis. He has some Civil Engineering Department at Ataturk papers in SCI journals and national, international indexed journals. He University in Turkey. studied traffic accidents and prediction models in Ph.D. dissertation. His He has got many articles printed in not only supervisor in doctorate was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tortum. Dr. Çodur SCI journals but also national and international indexed journals and is member of Turkish Road Association in Ankara in Turkey. national and international congress about transportation, transportation planning, transportation engineering, traffic accidents and traffic Nuriye Kabakuş was born in Erzurum in engineering. Dr. Tortum is member Civil Engineer Chamber in Turkey. Turkey. She is a Ph.D. student in Transportation Discipline. She is a research Hümeyra Bolakar was born in Aksaray in assistant at Ataturk University in Turkey. She Turkey. She has been studying doctorate earned a master’s degree in Transportation Transportation in Civil Engineering Discipline in Civil Engineering Department Department from Ataturk University. She is from Ataturk University. Her master’s thesis an Researh Assistant at Aksaray University in is analyzıng traffic accidents with geographic Turkey. information systems. Her supervisor is Assoc. Her primary research expertise is Modelling Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tortum. Traffıc Accidents with Artificalneural