Correlation between Geographic Factors and Severity of Road Crashes in China

The frequency and severity of road accidents are closely connected to geographical factors, including geographic region, landform, road condition and weather. Based on the statistic of accident data in 2013, this paper studies the geographical distribution of road accidents in China, as well as the correlation between geographic factors and crash severity. The results indicate that the western district of China has a higher mortality rate than other areas. Specific geographic conditions may lead to relevant types of crashes, e.g. single vehicle crashes are in relation to specific landform of crash sites. And for the total crashes, Chi-square test reveals that night time, high way, mountainous area, curve road line, national road and low visibility significantly relate to nonfatal/fatal crashes. Among various factors influenced by climate, road surface covered with ice and snow has the highest mortality. Considering practical active safety system and driver assistance system in vehicles, this paper also discusses some corresponding countermeasures for special crashes. The research findings provide useful guidance oriented to different geographic area for the relevant research of traffic safety.