Analysis of the impact of road category and day of the week on accident hazard in the road transport of goods in Poland

Abstract

The current accident hazard caused by road transport of goods has been analysed, with the location (road categories) and time circumstances (specific days of the week) having been additionally taken into account. Calculations were done that made it possible to quantify this hazard, which is chiefly caused by the traffic of goods vehicles. The importance of this problem is increasing in the situation of persisting strong and steady upward trend in the traffic of goods vehicles. In a recent period of 10 years, the rate of growth of the traffic of goods vehicles was almost twice as high as that of the traffic of passenger cars. The hazard and fatality risk indicator values were estimated by analysing an isolated set of accident data. The period covered by the analysis of the events that occurred in the road transport of goods extended for the years from 2002 to 2011 and the numerical values have been specified in relation to repeatable week-long periods and to four road categories. The calculated hazard indicator values have been compared with the share of goods vehicles in the whole motor vehicle market, road traffic, and goods transport