A Novel Framework for Sustainable Traffic Safety Programs Using the Public as Sensors of Hazardous Road Information

Traditionally, traffic safety improvement programs (TSIPs) have been based on the number of crashes at a specific location or their severity. However, the crash datasets used for such programs are obtained from the police and include two limitations: not all crashes are collected by the police (most minor and near-miss crashes are not reported), and the traditional process uses crash data recorded for the past two or three years (meaning most data inevitably include a time lag). To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a new approach for a TSIP based on citizen participation through an online survey that is broadcasted through social media. The method uses the public as sensors of hazardous road information, which means that information can be collected on individual experiences of minor crashes and latent risk factors, such as near misses and traffic conflicts. To demonstrate this approach, a case study was carried out in a small district in the city of Goyang, Korea, which has one of the highest usage rates of social media technologies. The proposed method and a traditional method were both assessed.