Discovering blackspots caused by pavement distresses using Lagrange polynomial and safety inspections of traffic accidents: A case study for Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

It is undeniable that as vehicle ownership increases; developing countries are constantly dealing with serious issue of traffic accidents. The pavement distress issue is reported as an elementary road entity causing accidents. According to the statistics of the Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Centre (RTIR&PC) in Karachi, more than 50% of serious injuries occur due to road faults. This paper aims to develop a mechanism for the exploration of blackspots by inspecting the traffic accidents in Karachi city caused by road distresses. The mathematical analysis involved the Lagrange polynomial method while the screening of blackspots was carried out based on safety inspections. As of lack of technicalities and improved documentation, the paper presented an initiative of complete guidelines for safety audits and investigations specifically for developing countries like Pakistan. According to findings, around 87% locations are pertained with the ranking of blackspots highlighting the pavement problems of the city.