Time series traffic collision analysis of London hotspots: Patterns, predictions and prevention strategies

Despite recent measures on accident prevention, road collisions, mainly on London's "A" roads, persist as accident sources, endangering vulnerable users in particular. Analysing evidence from London's A-Roads unveils issues concerns and trends. This study utilises extensive data to target factors magnifying accidents: speed, traffic, vulnerable interactions. Stats 19 and transport data including volumes, types, speeds, and congestion parameters are all analysed alongside the collision data. The descriptive statistics have been employed to understand nature of data in the first instance. This has supported the process to cleanse the data outliers or periods where were subjected to incidents and interventions. Predictive model development is conducted to analyse and forecast accident frequency using ARIMA and SARIMAX models forecasted accident rates and interventions. ARIMA yielded higher accuracy. Method of analysis resulted in a statistically reliable formulation of the main factors, enabling use of this method for similar cities across the world. Formulated analysis revealed key contributors as population density, weather, and time of the day. The analysis of data supported identification of strategies emerging as infrastructure improvements, traffic control measures and severity and vulnerable users affected in particular. The analysis reveals distinct exhibits of causation, leading to focused recommendations on infrastructure enhancements, traffic control measures, and the impact on severity and vulnerable users, deviating from prior research findings. Insights aid safer London roads, have global predictive and mitigation value.