ปัจจัยความรุนแรงของอุบัติเหตุทางถนนและมาตรการแก้ไขบริเวณอันตราย กรณีศึกษาจังหวัดภูเก็ต

Abstract

Road crashes occur from three main factors, which are 1) driver, 2) vehicle,and 3) road and environment. However, the factor that could treat hazardous locations effectively in a short period is the road and environment. The objective of this research is to apply a concept of safer roads, following a safe system approach, to treat the hazardous locations in Phuket as a case study. This is because the fatality rate in Phuket is in the top rank among tourist cities in Thailand. The study was divided into two parts. The first part reviewed several road safety measures classified by different crash types. Then, the measures were applied to correct the hazardous locations in the study area as an area-based approach. The top five hazardous locations, identified by the estimated economic losses from road crashes, consist of 1) the u-turn on the bypass road Hwy. 4024 km. 2+300 (u-turn vehicles crossing the main traffic stream), 2) the road section on Phra Phuket Kaew Rd. between km. 0+550 and km. 0+650 (a straight route followed by a reverse curve), 3) the Kuan Yak junction between Hwy. 4030 km. 16+100 and Na Ka Sud road (intersection at steep slope), 4) the Hwy. 4040 between km. 0+350 and km. 0+450 (a reverse curve on the mountainous area), and 5) the Hwy. 4040 between km. 1+450 and km. 1+550 (a reverse curve on the mountainous area). The second part of the study analyzed the road and environmental factors affecting the severity of crashes in the study area as a system-based approach. The crash data in the past three years (497 crashes) were used to develop the structural equation model (SEM). The results showed that the road factors (no safety device, slope, and highway) and environmental factors (wet road surface and unclear weather) significantly affect the crash severity (a number of casualties and vehicles). The results from the first part could be a guideline for local agencies to improve those hazardous locations. In addition, the results from the second part would be information for road agencies to take the significant factors in the process of road design and countermeasure implementation. However, other road-, vehicle-, and driver- related factors should also be considered in order to propose active countermeasures.