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Traditional crash frequency prediction models cannot capture the temporal effects of traffic characteristics due to the high level of data aggregation. Also, this approach is less suitable to address the crash risk for active traffic management strategies that typically operate for short-time intervals. Hence, this research proposes short-term crash prediction models for traffic management strategies such as Variable Speed Limit (VSL)/Variable Advisory Speed (VAS), and Part-time Shoulder Use (PTSU). By using high-resolution traffic detectors and VSL/VAS operational data, short-term Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) are estimated at weekday hourly and peak period aggregation levels. The results indicate that the short-term SPFs could capture various crash contributing factors and safety aspects of VSL/VAS more effectively than the traditional highly aggregated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)-based approach. The study also investigates the safety effectiveness of VSL/VAS for different types and severity levels of traffic crashes. The results specify that the VSL/VAS system is effective in reducing rear-end crashes in the Multivariate Poisson Lognormal (MVPLN) crash type model as well as Property Damage Only (PDO) and C (non-incapacitating) crashes in the MVPLN crash severity model. Recommendations include deploying the VSL/VAS system combined with other traffic management strategies, strong enforcement policies, and drivers' compliance to increase the effectiveness of this strategy. Further, this research estimates the Random Parameters Negative Binomial-Lindley (RPNB-L) model for PTSU sections and provides valuable insights on potential crash contributing factors related to PTSU operation, design elements, and high-risk areas. Last, the study proposes a novel integrated crash prediction approach for freeway sections with combined traffic management strategies. By incorporating historical safety conditions from SPFs, real-time crash prediction performance could be improved as a part of proactive traffic management systems. The findings could assist transportation agencies, policymakers, and practitioners in taking appropriate countermeasures for preventing and reducing crash occurrence by incorporating safety aspects while implementing traffic management strategies on freeways.

The objective of this research is to evaluate and introduce a new methodology regarding rural highway safety. Current practices rely on crash prediction models that utilize specific explanatory variables, whereas the depository of knowledge for past research is the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). Most of the prediction models in the HSM identify the effect of individual geometric elements on crash occurrence and consider their combination in a multiplicative manner, where each effect is multiplied with others to determine their combined influence. The concepts of 3-dimesnional (3-D) representation of the roadway surface have also been explored in the past aiming to model the highway structure and optimize the roadway alignment. The use of differential geometry on utilizing the 3-D roadway surface in order to understand how new metrics can be used to identify and express roadway geometric elements has been recently utilized and indicated that this may be a new approach in representing the combined effects of all geometry features into single variables. This research will further explore this potential and examine the possibility to utilize 3-D differential geometry in representing the roadway surface and utilize its associated metrics to consider the combined effect of roadway features on crashes. It is anticipated that a series of single metrics could be used that would combine horizontal and vertical alignment features and eventually predict roadway crashes in a more robust manner. It should be also noted that that the main purpose of this research is not to simply suggest predictive crash models, but to prove in a statistically concrete manner that 3-D metrics of differential geometry, e.g. Gaussian Curvature and Mean Curvature can assist in analyzing highway design and safety. Therefore, the value of this research is oriented towards the proof of concept of the link between 3-D geometry in highway design and safety. This thesis presents the steps and rationale of the procedure that is followed in order to complete the proposed research. Finally, the results of the suggested methodology are compared with the ones that would be derived from the, state-of-the-art, Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM), which is essentially the software that is currently used and based on the findings of the HSM.

The unavailability of crash-related data has been a long lasting challenge in Brazil. In addition to the poor implementation and follow-up of road safety strategies, this drawback has hampered the development of studies that could contribute to national goals toward road safety. In contrast, developed countries have built their effective strategies on solid data basis, therefore, investing a considerable time and money in obtaining and creating pertinent information. In this research, we aim to assess the potential impacts of supplementary data on spatial model performance and the suitability of different spatial modeling approaches on crash prediction. The intention is to notify the authorities in Brazil and other developing countries, about the importance of having appropriate data. In this thesis, we set two specific objectives: (I) to investigate the spatial model prediction accuracy at unsampled subzones; (II) to evaluate the performance of spatial data analysis approaches on crash prediction. Firstly, we carry out a benchmarking based on Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models developed for Flanders, Belgium, and São Paulo, Brazil. Models are developed for two modes of transport: active (i.e. pedestrians and cyclists) and motorized transport (i.e. motorized vehicles occupants). Subsequently, we apply the repeated holdout method on the Flemish models, introducing two GWR validation approaches, named GWR holdout1 and GWR holdout2. While the former is based on the local coefficient estimates derived from the neighboring subzones and measures of the explanatory variables for the validation subzones, the latter uses the casualty estimates of the neighboring subzones directly to estimate outcomes for the missing subzones. Lastly, we compare the performance of GWR models with Mean Imputation (MEI), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Kriging with External Drift (KED). Findings showed that by adding the supplementary data, reductions of 20% and 25% for motorized transport, and 25% and 35% for active transport resulted in corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) and Mean Squared Prediction Errors (MSPE), respectively. From a practical perspective, the results could help us identify hotspots and prioritize data collection strategies besides identify, implement and enforce appropriate countermeasures. Concerning the spatial approaches, GWR holdout2 out performed all other techniques and proved that GWR is an appropriate spatial technique for both prediction and impact analyses. Especially in countries where data availability has been an issue, this validation framework allows casualties or crash frequencies to be estimated while effectively capturing the spatial variation of the data. / A indisponibilidade de variáveis explicativas de acidentes de trânsito tem sido um desafio duradouro no Brasil. Além da má implementação e acompanhamento de estratégias de segurança viária, esse inconveniente tem dificultado o desenvolvimento de estudos que poderiam contribuir com as metas nacionais de segurança no trânsito. Em contraste, países desenvolvidos tem construído suas estratégias efetivas com base em dados sólidos, e portanto, investindo tempo e dinheiro consideráveis na obtenção e criação de informações pertinentes. O objetivo dessa pesquisa é avaliar os possíveis impactos de dados suplementares sobre o desempenho de modelos espaciais, e a adequação de diferentes abordagens de modelagem espacial na previsão de acidentes. A intenção é notificar as autoridades brasileiras e de outros países em desenvolvimento sobre a importância de dados adequados. Nesta tese, foram definidos dois objetivos específicos: (I) investigar a acurácia do modelo espacial em subzonas sem amostragem; (II) avaliar o desempenho de técnicas de análise espacial de dados na previsão de acidentes. Primeiramente, foi realizado um estudo comparativo, baseado em modelos desenvolvidos para Flandres (Bélgica) e São Paulo (Brasil), através do método de Regressão Geograficamente Ponderada (RGP). Os modelos foram desenvolvidos para dois modos de transporte: ativos (pedestres e ciclistas) e motorizados (ocupantes de veículos motorizados). Subsequentemente, foi aplicado o método de holdout repetido nos modelos Flamengos, introduzindo duas abordagens de validação para GWR, denominados RGP holdout1 e RGP holdout2. Enquanto o primeiro é baseado nas estimativas de coeficientes locais derivados das subzonas vizinhas e medidas das variáveis explicativas para as subzonas de validação, o último usa as estimativas de acidentes das subzonas vizinhas, diretamente, para estimar os resultados para as subzonas ausentes. Por fim, foi comparado o desempenho de modelos RGP e outras abordagens, tais como Imputação pela Média de dados faltantes (IM), K-vizinhos mais próximos (KNN) e Krigagem com Deriva Externa (KDE). Os resultados mostraram que, adicionando os dados suplementares, reduções de 20% e 25% para o transporte motorizado, e 25% e 35% para o transporte ativo, foram resultantes em termos de Critério de Informação de Akaike corrigido (AICc) e Erro Quadrático Médio da Predição (EQMP), respectivamente. Do ponto de vista prático, os resultados poderiam ajudar a identificar hotspots e priorizar estratégias de coleta de dados, além de identificar, implementar e aplicar contramedidas adequadas. No que diz respeito às abordagens espaciais, RGP holdout2 teve melhor desempenho em relação a todas as outras técnicas e, provou que a RGP é uma técnica espacial apropriada para ambas as análises de previsão e impactos. Especialmente em países onde a disponibilidade de dados tem sido um problema, essa estrutura de validação permite que as acidentes sejam estimados enquanto, capturando efetivamente a variação espacial dos dados.

The unavailability of crash-related data has been a long lasting challenge in Brazil. In addition to the poor implementation and follow-up of road safety strategies, this drawback has hampered the development of studies that could contribute to national goals toward road safety. In contrast, developed countries have built their effective strategies on solid data basis, therefore, investing a considerable time and money in obtaining and creating pertinent information. In this research, we aim to assess the potential impacts of supplementary data on spatial model performance and the suitability of different spatial modeling approaches on crash prediction. The intention is to notify the authorities in Brazil and other developing countries, about the importance of having appropriate data. In this thesis, we set two specific objectives: (I) to investigate the spatial model prediction accuracy at unsampled subzones; (II) to evaluate the performance of spatial data analysis approaches on crash prediction. Firstly, we carry out a benchmarking based on Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models developed for Flanders, Belgium, and São Paulo, Brazil. Models are developed for two modes of transport: active (i.e. pedestrians and cyclists) and motorized transport (i.e. motorized vehicles occupants). Subsequently, we apply the repeated holdout method on the Flemish models, introducing two GWR validation approaches, named GWR holdout1 and GWR holdout2. While the former is based on the local coefficient estimates derived from the neighboring subzones and measures of the explanatory variables for the validation subzones, the latter uses the casualty estimates of the neighboring subzones directly to estimate outcomes for the missing subzones. Lastly, we compare the performance of GWR models with Mean Imputation (MEI), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Kriging with External Drift (KED). Findings showed that by adding the supplementary data, reductions of 20% and 25% for motorized transport, and 25% and 35% for active transport resulted in corrected Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) and Mean Squared Prediction Errors (MSPE), respectively. From a practical perspective, the results could help us identify hotspots and prioritize data collection strategies besides identify, implement and enforce appropriate countermeasures. Concerning the spatial approaches, GWR holdout2 out performed all other techniques and proved that GWR is an appropriate spatial technique for both prediction and impact analyses. Especially in countries where data availability has been an issue, this validation framework allows casualties or crash frequencies to be estimated while effectively capturing the spatial variation of the data. / A indisponibilidade de variáveis explicativas de acidentes de trânsito tem sido um desafio duradouro no Brasil. Além da má implementação e acompanhamento de estratégias de segurança viária, esse inconveniente tem dificultado o desenvolvimento de estudos que poderiam contribuir com as metas nacionais de segurança no trânsito. Em contraste, países desenvolvidos tem construído suas estratégias efetivas com base em dados sólidos, e portanto, investindo tempo e dinheiro consideráveis na obtenção e criação de informações pertinentes. O objetivo dessa pesquisa é avaliar os possíveis impactos de dados suplementares sobre o desempenho de modelos espaciais, e a adequação de diferentes abordagens de modelagem espacial na previsão de acidentes. A intenção é notificar as autoridades brasileiras e de outros países em desenvolvimento sobre a importância de dados adequados. Nesta tese, foram definidos dois objetivos específicos: (I) investigar a acurácia do modelo espacial em subzonas sem amostragem; (II) avaliar o desempenho de técnicas de análise espacial de dados na previsão de acidentes. Primeiramente, foi realizado um estudo comparativo, baseado em modelos desenvolvidos para Flandres (Bélgica) e São Paulo (Brasil), através do método de Regressão Geograficamente Ponderada (RGP). Os modelos foram desenvolvidos para dois modos de transporte: ativos (pedestres e ciclistas) e motorizados (ocupantes de veículos motorizados). Subsequentemente, foi aplicado o método de holdout repetido nos modelos Flamengos, introduzindo duas abordagens de validação para GWR, denominados RGP holdout1 e RGP holdout2. Enquanto o primeiro é baseado nas estimativas de coeficientes locais derivados das subzonas vizinhas e medidas das variáveis explicativas para as subzonas de validação, o último usa as estimativas de acidentes das subzonas vizinhas, diretamente, para estimar os resultados para as subzonas ausentes. Por fim, foi comparado o desempenho de modelos RGP e outras abordagens, tais como Imputação pela Média de dados faltantes (IM), K-vizinhos mais próximos (KNN) e Krigagem com Deriva Externa (KDE). Os resultados mostraram que, adicionando os dados suplementares, reduções de 20% e 25% para o transporte motorizado, e 25% e 35% para o transporte ativo, foram resultantes em termos de Critério de Informação de Akaike corrigido (AICc) e Erro Quadrático Médio da Predição (EQMP), respectivamente. Do ponto de vista prático, os resultados poderiam ajudar a identificar hotspots e priorizar estratégias de coleta de dados, além de identificar, implementar e aplicar contramedidas adequadas. No que diz respeito às abordagens espaciais, RGP holdout2 teve melhor desempenho em relação a todas as outras técnicas e, provou que a RGP é uma técnica espacial apropriada para ambas as análises de previsão e impactos. Especialmente em países onde a disponibilidade de dados tem sido um problema, essa estrutura de validação permite que as acidentes sejam estimados enquanto, capturando efetivamente a variação espacial dos dados.