Traffic Accidents in Ankara (Turkey) from a Spatiotemporal Perspective: Analysis of Fatalities and Injuries

Öz

Traffic accidents are a widespread global problem causing significant threats to human life and socioeconomic impacts. Traffic accidents are becoming more common due to the increase in population and the number of vehicles and therefore pose severe threats to human life. This study investigates the spatial and temporal characteristics of traffic accidents that occurred in Ankara between 2013 and 2020. In this context, the annual, monthly, daily, and hourly distribution of accidents were investigated to analyse the temporal characteristics of traffic accidents. In addition, Optimised Hot Spot Analysis was used to analyse the spatial characteristics, and Emerging Hot Spot Analysis was used to reveal spatiotemporal characteristics. The results reveal that the number of accidents increased until 2018 but showed a marked decrease in the last two years. It is emphasised that the decrease, especially in 2020, is closely related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, there is an increase in the number of fatal accidents during the summer months, weekends, and night and morning hours. Traffic accidents and injuries are spatially clustered in the city centre, while fatal accidents are clustered not only in the city centre but also on the highways that provide access to the surrounding districts and provinces. The spatiotemporal distribution shows increasing trends with different hot spot patterns in these regions. The obtained results reveal that there are temporal and spatial patterns that vary according to the type of accident and traffic actors. This study guides local and national institutions in determining effective road safety policies to reduce traffic accidents in Ankara.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Traffic accident
• Spatio-temporal distribution
• COVID-19
• Ankara

Mekânsal ve Zamansal Perspektiften Ankara'daki Trafik Kazaları: Ölümlü ve Yaralanmalı Olayların Analizi

Öz

Trafik kazaları, insan yaşamına yönelik önemli tehditlere ve sosyo-ekonomik etkilere yol açan yaygın bir küresel sorundur. Trafik kazaları, nüfus ve araç sayısındaki artış nedeniyle daha yaygın hale gelmekte ve bu nedenle insan hayatı için ciddi tehditler oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışma, 2013-2020 yılları arasında Ankara ilinde meydana gelen trafik kazalarının mekânsal ve zamansal niteliğini araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu kapsamda, trafik kazalarının zamansal özelliklerini analiz etmek için kazaların yıllık, aylık, günlük ve saatlik dağılımı incelenmiştir. Ayrıca, mekânsal özellikleri analiz etmek için optimize edilmiş sıcak nokta analizi ve mekânsal-zamansal özellikleri ortaya koymak için gelişen sıcak nokta analizi kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar, kaza sayılarının 2018'e kadar arttığını, ancak son iki yılda belirgin bir azalma gösterdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Özellikle 2020'deki düşüşün, COVID-19 salgınıyla yakından ilişkili olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. Ayrıca, yaz aylarında, hafta sonlarında, gece ve sabah saatlerinde ölümlü kazaların sayısında bir artış görülmektedir. Trafik kazalarının ve yaralanmaların mekânsal olarak şehir merkezinde, ölümlü kazaların ise sadece şehir merkezinde değil, aynı zamanda çevre ilçe ve illerle ulaşımı sağlayan karayollarında da kümelendiği tespit edilmiştir. Mekânsal-zamansal dağılım ise bu bölgelerde farklı sıcak nokta desenleri ile artan eğilimleri göstermektedir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, kazanın türüne ve trafik aktörlerine göre değişen zamansal ve mekânsal desenlerin olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Bu çalışma, Ankara'daki trafik kazalarının azaltılmasına yönelik etkili yol güvenliği politikalarının belirlenmesinde yerel ve ulusal kurumlara rehberlik etmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Trafik kazası
• Mekânsal-zamansal dağılım
• COVID-19
• Ankara

Kaynakça

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