PURPOSES : The bridge section of the expressway has a worse driving environment than the general section. However, traffic safety countermeasures are focused only on the bridge section. Traffic safety countermeasures on the section before entry to the bridge and the section after exit from the bridge are applied only when the bridge has a long-span section. Accordingly, this study will verify the necessity of extending the application of traffic safety countermeasures to areas that are affected by the bridge. METHODS: This study determines the areas that are affected by the bridge as well as the areas that are affected by locations with frequent traffic accidents and suggests the risk factors by affected areas through canonical discriminant analysis. For the analysis, traffic accident data for 3 years, which occurred on bridge sections in six major expressway lines, were used. RESULTS: The numbers of traffic accidents were 469 before the bridge, 281 on the bridge, and 468 after the bridge. The variables that have impact on the seriousness of accidents are as follows: speeding, excess manipulation of the steering wheel, and failure to secure safety distance for accidents that occurred before the bridge section; speeding, excess manipulation of the steering wheel, and dozing off for accidents that occurred on the bridge; and speeding and failure to secure safety distance for accidents that occurred after the bridge section. CONCLUSIONS : Areas affected by the bridge show higher accident rates than the bridge section; therefore, imposing traffic safety countermeasures on the integrated section of the bridge and the affected areas is required. It is believed that the results suggested in this study could be effectively used in the prevention of traffic accidents by imposing custom-made safety countermeasures for each section.

• 박제진(한국도로공사 도로교통연구원 책임연구원) | Park, JeJin