Spatial analysis of road traffic accidents: Identifying hotspots for improved road safety in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

AbstractSafety on road networks is the utmost important factor to consider for public well-being and transportation efficiency. This study introduces a new approach that combines Getis-Ord spatial statistics and crash rate analysis to identify significant road traffic accidents (RTAs) characterized by hotspots on road segments in Addis Ababa’s road network. The study’s results visually portray the crash locations, associating them with the underlying road network, which demonstrates a notable concentration of accident hotspots, between the years from 2014 to 2019 on Addis Ababa’s roads network. The RTAs spatial analysis resulted in the identification of hotspots on 33 road segments, 3 intersections, and 10 roundabouts/squares. Among the identified hotspots, the road segment recognized as Djibouti Street, extending from Bole Edna Mall to the 22 “mazoriya” roundabouts, stands out as the most significant accident hotspot. It exhibits an average of 37.5 crashes per kilometer per year, encompassing a road segment length of 1141 m. Using both methods in this study is crucial for validating findings by identifying high-crash segments and enhancing their reliability and hotspot accuracy. This unique validation method links each traffic accident’s spatial data with the road network using both crash rate and spatial statistical analysis, effectively pinpointing accident hotspots. Given the limited resources, this approach enhances awareness of accident-prone locations, enabling the prioritization of safety measures to improve road safety. It effectively addresses spatial analysis gaps related to RTAs in Ethiopia and holds practical significance by identifying and prioritizing safety measures aimed at reducing accidents within Addis Ababa’s road network.