Methodology for substantiating the characteristics of safety indicators dependency on the parameters of urban environment infrastructure

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between road safety indicators and urban environment infrastructure parameters. The analysis focused on how infrastructure influenced road safety outcomes. To achieve the objective, a methodology using nonlinear optimization tools was developed to substantiate the relationships and provide a more nuanced understanding of their characteristics. This methodology was tested and validated using St. Petersburg as a case study, with metro stations as the focus of analysis. Subsequently, methodology was applied to simulate 20677 pedestrian accident between 2018 and 2023. The results showed that there were 7 distinct clusters based on the specific relationships between the probability of road accident and the infrastructure characteristics of the surrounding areas. The dependency type of each cluster was carefully analyzed and justified, showing the unique characteristics of the urban environment around the selected focal points. The results showed significant variations in safety dependency based on different urban infrastructure characteristics. This innovative methodology has practical applications for specialist government agencies in St. Petersburg, providing a robust framework for developing targeted interventions and strategies to improve road safety in urban areas.