Contribution of a Geographic Information System to the Prevention of Crashes Among Vulnerable Road Users in the City of Cotonou: Exploratory Study

Daddah, Donatien; Dos Santos, Bella Hounkpe; Ahanhanzo, Yolaine Glèlè · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s362167

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Summary

This study addresses the public health burden of road traffic crashes involving vulnerable road users (VRUs)—defined as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists—in Cotonou, Benin. Motivated by the high mortality rates among VRUs in low- and middle-income countries and the underutilization of existing geographic crash data in Benin, the research aimed to identify spatial characteristics and risk factors associated with injury crashes. The primary objective was to leverage Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to pinpoint crash hotspots and evaluate environmental factors to inform targeted road safety interventions. The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of police-reported road crash data collected between 2008 and 2017. From 21,854 total crashes, 665 involved VRUs with valid GPS coordinates. Spatial analysis was performed using QGIS software to generate density maps and identify hotspots, defined as locations with multiple injury crashes. Field observations were conducted at identified hotspots to assess physical road characteristics, including traffic signal functionality, presence of crosswalks, and lane separation. Quantitative analysis using Stata 15 involved multiple logistic regression to determine factors associated with injury crashes, controlling for variables such as road type, intersection status, pavement condition, and lighting. The study identified six main crash hotspots for VRUs in Cotonou, five of which were located at intersections on major roads, particularly the National Interstate Road 1 (RNIE 1) and roads serving high-activity areas like markets and administrative centers. Field observations revealed that these sites lacked essential safety infrastructure, including safe pedestrian crosswalks, functional traffic signals, separate lanes for VRUs, and pedestrian medians. Statistical analysis identified two significant factors associated with injury crashes among VRUs: location at an intersection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.8–6.1) and poor pavement condition (aOR = 7.0; 95% CI: 2.9–17.1). While road geometry showed associations in simple regression, it did not remain significant in the final multivariate model. The findings demonstrate that GIS is an effective tool for prioritizing road safety interventions in resource-limited settings by identifying specific high-risk locations. The study concludes that targeted improvements to the built environment, particularly at intersections and areas with poor pavement conditions, are necessary to protect VRUs. By mapping hotspots and linking them to specific environmental deficits, the research provides a evidence-based framework for allocating resources to reduce morbidity and mortality among vulnerable road users in Cotonou.

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Topics

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• vru crash typology
• incidence prevalence
• demographic disparities
• cyclist safety

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes