Modelling bus-pedestrian crash severity in the state of Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between bus-pedestrian crash severity and factors contributing to such crashes is important. However, there exists a dearth of research on the factors affecting bus-pedestrian crash severity. This study aims to fulfil this gap by investigating the factors affecting the severity of pedestrian injuries. A data set of bus-pedestrian crashes in the State of Victoria, Australia was analysed over the period of 2006 − 2019. Through the results of association rule discovery method, the factors that increase the risk of pedestrian fatality are darkness, pedestrian walking on carriageway with traffic, intersections, high speed zone, old pedestrian, young bus driver and weekend holidays. Furthermore, co-occurrence of factors that increase the risk of a pedestrian fatality were extracted. To reduce the injuries of bus-pedestrian crashes, we recommend improving the light conditions, reducing the jaywalking behaviour of pedestrians, implementing speed bumps in high speed zones and installing pedestrian detection systems on buses.

• 13 years of bus-pedestrian crashes in Victoria, Australia was analyzed.

• Association rules discovery was used for modeling pedestrian fatality.

• Darkness, pedestrian movement, zone speed and age effect the rate of fatality.

• Pattern of pedestrian fatality in collision with bus was extracted.

Keywords:

• Bus-pedestrian crashes
• pedestrian injury severity
• bus crashes
• association rule discovery

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).