• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.83-92
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• 2007

In 2004, the number of traffic crashes and deaths in Korea are 220,755 and 6,563, respectively. Korea Road Traffic Safety Authority reported that the number of traffic accidents occupies over 25% out of total accidents, and found that traffic crash probability is extremely high at intersections since intersections have various traffic conflict points. A Safety study using Traffic Conflict Technique is much more useful than a study using reported traffic accident data. Existing traffic conflict research hardly considered conflict severity occurring at intersections. So, the study developed new criteria considering conflict severity. Analytic methods precisely detecting crashing points using field surveying data, and applied an application of our new criteria. Opposing left-turn conflict criteria was devided by three groups(high severe conflict, middle severe conflict, and less severe conflict) based on conflict boundary by means of a standard vehicle length. After analyzing field surveying data(3hours), we found totally 41 opposing left-turn conflicts. 3 cases are high severe conflict, and another 10 cases are middle severe conflicts, and the other cases are less severe. Studies related in conflict severity are considerably important to evaluate intersection's detailed safety index, and existing studies(purely conflict counting does not consider severity) have a limitation to clearly determine the level of safety of intersections for an application.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.173-184
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• 2008

Development of an accident estimation model based on accident data can be made after accident occurrences. However, the taking of historical accident data is not easy, and there have been differences between real accident data and police-reported accident data. Also, another difficult shortcoming is that historical traffic accident data better consider driver behavior or intersection characteristics. A new method needs to be developed that can predict accident occurrences for traffic safety improvement in black spots. Traffic conflict decision techniques can acquire and analyze data in time and space, requiring less data collection through investigation. However, there are shortcomings: as existing traffic conflict techniques do not operate automatically, the analyst's opinion could easily affect the study results. Also, existing methods do not consider the severity of traffic conflicts. In this study, the authors presented traffic conflict decision criteria which consider conflict severity, including opposing left turn traffic conflict and cross traffic conflict decision criteria. In order to test these criteria, the authors acquired three signalized intersection images (two intersections in Sungnam city and one intersection in Paju) and analyzed the acquired images using image processing techniques based on individual vehicle tracking technology. Within the analyzed images, level 1 conflicts occurred 343 times over three intersections. Some of these traffic conflicts resulted in level 3 conflict situations. Level 3 traffic conflicts occurred 25 times. From the study results, the authors found that traffic conflict decision techniques can be an alternative to evaluate traffic safety in black spots.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2002

For many rears, traffic accident statistics are the most direct measure of safety for a signalized intersection. However it takes more than 2 or 3 yearn to collect certain accident data for adequate sample sizes. And the accident data itself is unreliable because of the difference between accident data recorded and accident that is actually occurred. Therefore, it is rather difficult to evaluate safety for a intersection by using accident data. For these reasons, traffic conflict technique(TCT) was developed as a buick and accurate counter-measure of safety for a intersection. However, the collected conflict data is not always reliable because there is absence of clear criteria for conflict. This study developed objective and accurate conflict criteria, which is shown below based on traffic engineering theory. Frist, the rear-end conflict is regarded, when the following vehicle takes evasive maneuver against the first vehicle within a certain distance, according to car-following theory. Second, lane-change conflict is regarded when the following vehicle takes evasive maneuver against first vehicle which is changing its lane within the minimum stopping distance of the following vehicle. Third, cross and opposing-left turn conflicts are regarded when the vehicle which receives green sign takes evasive maneuver against the vehicle which lost its right-of-way crossing a intersection. As a result of correlation analysis between conflict and accident, it is verified that the suggested conflict criteria in this study ave applicable. And it is proven that estimating safety evaluation for a intersection with conflict data is possible, according to the regression analysis preformed between accident and conflict, EPDO accident and conflict. Adopting the conflict criteria suggested in this study would be both quick and accurate method for diagnosing safety and operational deficiencies and for evaluation improvements at intersections. Further research is required to refine the suggested conflict criteria to extend its application. In addition, it is necessary to develope other types of conflict criteria, not included in this study, in later study.