Road Safety Management: Assessment of the Accident Severity of Identified Areas and Development of Accident Prediction Model in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga

Abstract

 The urge to build a good and safe road infrastructure is one of the primary necessities of the government to provide what the community needs. However, according to the Department of Health (DOH), road accidents are still one of the leading causes of mortality in the Philippines. Specifically, the City of San Fernando, Pampanga (CSFP) is one of the places where the number of people killed or injured in car accidents has risen dramatically. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) states that poor data governance on road accidents is one of the country's biggest problems in addressing road safety. That is why this study determined the accident-prone barangays in the city through an accident severity formula that ranked the barangays from being the most to least severe, as presented by road accident mapping. Along with that is the accident prediction model that shows possible road accidents if the problems in the road transportation system remain unsolved. The study used a mixed-method research design in which a questionnaire was given to 385 respondents and treated by frequency and percentage count. The interview was given to three experts in the road transportation of CSFP, and answers were transcribed and content examined. The study's findings proved that the most accident-prone barangay that had the most severe road accidents in CSFP is Dolores. At the same time, there could be 4,696 road accidents in the city in the year 2032. The most common reason for road accidents is human factors, specifically disobedience to basic traffic rules. The city's conditions of road safety systems also contributed to the problem, as it was revealed that road signages, traffic lights, street lights, line markings, and roadways need to be maintained.