Management of infrastructure and traffic volume versus road traffic safety

Abstract

PURPOSE: The objective of the article is to present the impact of the environment and the use of telematics on the safety of road users, paying particular attention to changes in the death rate in road accidents, comparing Poland and other European countries.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The author has applied the Delphi method, which uses the knowledge, experience and opinions of experts in a given field. In addition, the focus was on the use of IT systems, e.g., by using them to monitor intersections, creating a system of informing drivers about the existing hazards, weather conditions, possible bypasses in order to more effectively manage transport and ensure a better flow of information, which leads to the improvement of road safety, increasing the driver's comfort and significantly shortening the driving time. The dynamic development of road traffic is associated with the emergence of risks for road users. In the first part of the research method, variables were characterized by frequency (N), standard deviation (SD), minimum value, lower quartile value (Q1), below (or equal to) 25.0% of observations, median - average value, below (or equal to) 50.0% of the observations, the value of the upper quartile, below (or equal to) 75.0% of the observations, and the maximum value. The percentage of people choosing a particular assessment of a given answer variant is also presented. The Mann-Whitney U test was also used in the second research part for comparison of the number of fatalities in accidents in Poland and other European countries.

FINDINGS: The results of the analyses made it possible to answer the question whether the use of modern telematics solutions can significantly affect road safety. In addition, subsequent analyses allowed to find an answer to the question of whether there were any changes in the accident fatality rate in Europe from 2009 to 2018. The research indicates an important role in the issues of road safety and hazards.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The research provides pragmatic tips for practical road safety solutions. In addition, this research significantly expands the literature on the impact of modern telematics solutions on road safety.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: It is an original research that can be used to solve specific problems on its own or also simultaneously with other research methods.