Application of GIS in Accident Management System K.Mohanraj BE.,Geo-Informatics Department Of Civil Engineering Institute Of Remote Sensing Anna university Chennai- 600025 mohanraaj.k@gmail.com rajkmohan@rediffmail.com  S.Prabakaran BE.,Geo-Informatics Department Of Civil Engineering Institute Of Remote Sensing Anna university Chennai- 600025 darepraveen@yahoo.com  R.Ananth BE.,Geo-Informatics Department Of Civil Engineering Institute Of Remote Sensing Anna university Chennai- 600025 aananth.r@gmail.com  M.Jeyapriya BE.,Geo-Informatics Department Of Civil Engineering Institute Of Remote Sensing Anna university Chennai- 600025 jeya_cegau@yahoo.co.in Introduction: It has been estimated that over 300,000 persons die and 10-15 million persons are injured every single year in road accidents throughout the world .Hence it is necessary to incorporate steps, which can reduce road accident rates and implement mitigating actions, which can be taken to reduce the number and severity of road accidents and also take quick remedial measures incase of accidents. In this paper, an attempt is made by taking into account various factors causing accidents for predicting the accident prone points (black spots) on road. In case of accidents the accident spot is located geospatially and then with the use of vehicle navigation systems, the ambulance may be guided to accident spots and hence forth to the nearest hospital. These vehicle navigation systems could use GPS for positioning the vehicle. The vehicle navigation system uses a tracking device which determines the position of the vehicle, plans the route and gives the direction to the driver. In case of accidents, the driver of the ambulance or any other vehicle could receive the location of the destination from the monitoring station while starting from the accident spot and the computer guides the driver by giving instructions. Methodology: Accident Management system is a database that incorporates both spatial data and non-spatial data. It involves
Which involves collecting data and building database The analysis can be carried out with ArcGIS 8.3 software which has the capabilities required for the analysis. Oracle or SQL can be used as the back end database.the map of the desired road network can be digitized and taken as input to the software in a suitable form. The attribute data that enables us to evaluate accident prone zones (black spots) are later added on to the road network. Some factors considered for evaluating accident prone locations on road are listed below. They are
The possible variations of the factors and their corresponding weights are assigned which are shown in table.1.  Table.1 Weights assigned to factors After assigning the weighs the final weight index is obtained by adding all the individual weights and normalizing the value using maximum weight that can be assigned. Based on the final weight index the level of accident proneness can be estimated Classification: The classification of roads based on final weight index is as follows  GIS – An Overview: Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, querying, analyzing and displaying geographic data. GIS represents a new paradigm for the organization of the information and the design of information system, the essential aspect of which is the use of concept of location as the basis of structuring of information systems. GIS is a powerful computing tool for managing large amounts of heterogeneous data. A GIS can be effectively used to identify accident black spots on roads. The capability of GIS to link attribute data with spatial data facilitates prioritization of accident occurrence on roads and the results can be displayed graphically which can be used for planning and decision making. The process of rasterization, which involves conversion of vector data into raster data, helps in determining the suitability of horizontal curves provided on the roads. The results thus obtained can be combined using spatial and non-spatial queries to obtain the desired results. Use Of GIS In Data Collection: The data collection and updation of data in accident management system is more prone to error if done manually. The Arcpad, extension for ArcMap allows us to extract data from a geodatabase to use in the field with Arcpad. Data collection with ArcPad is fast, easy, and significantly improved with immediate data validation and availability.
Analysis of Accident Management System: Building Database: The essential data necessary for evaluating accident prone zones were collected. It is necessary to build a database that keeps track of accident. This is because accident database is the building block for accident reduction and prevention. The operation of accident investigation procedures hinges on the existence of a reliable database and clearly defined technical procedures. The key elements of an accident database are an accurate location reference, basic Information describing the accident, its victims, the events leading up to the accidents, a collision sketch showing the paths of the vehicles and road users involved and information about the accident site and circumstances (road condition, weather etc). Different organizations have different uses for accident records and these uses dictate the type of records which should be collected. Not all of the information needs to be passed all the way through the accident management system. The accident database needs to be set up in order to meet policy objectives. Targets need to be set and quantified. The foundation should enable a systematic and scientific approach to accident reduction and prevention with:
Preventive Analysis: Database is now developed and accident prone zones were identified. We analyse the cause of accidents and carry out steps that would avoid collision. Database may also be programmed to give suggestions based on the data collection. For instance: If the zone happens to be an open road then
Possible solutions could be There are various ways in which data analysis can be directed. The following account illustrates a typical analysis using data to prove the desirability of the introduction of compulsory seat belt wearing in Hong Kong in the early 1990s. Before the introduction of compulsory seat belt wearing for drivers and front seat passengers of private cars in Hong Kong Forecasts were done as to see how many accidents takes place or lives are lost when seat belts are not tightened. Analysis of accident data on injuries to passengers occupying particular seats in private cars together with surveys of seat occupancy and seat belt wearing were carried out. From the analysis it was possible to show convincingly that front seat belt wearing in private cars would be of benefit and legislation was brought in to make the wearing of belts compulsory in private cars. The results of enacting and enforcing the seat belt law has been a significant drop in casualties (12-16% in all casualties and 32-35% drop in serious/fatal casualties). Statistical Analysis: Two indicators, of the economic worth of the program were calculated: the net present value (NPV) and the benefit cost ratio (BCR). Net Present Value (NPV): NPV is the difference between the present value of the time stream of cost savings from a reduction in road crashes and the present value of the time stream of costs incurred to achieve these savings. In the case of the Black Spot Program, the latter include the capital costs of installing the treatments and maintenance and operating costs. NPV is expressed in monetary terms, with a NPV significantly greater than zero indicating a project is worthwhile. If the economic worth of two or more projects is being compared then the project with the highest NPV is the most worthwhile. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR): The BCR is the ratio of the present value of the time stream of cost savings from a reduction in road crashes to the present value of the time stream of costs incurred to achieve these savings. It has no units, since it is a ratio of monetary values. A BCR significantly greater than one indicates a project is worthwhile, or if the economic worth of two or more projects are being compared then the project with the highest BCR is the most worthwhile. The formulas for calculating the NPV and BCR are as follows –  BCR -benefit cost ratio Bi -cost saving by reduction of accidents Ni -cost incurred to bring safety measures. Measures to Manage Accidents:
Remedial Measure: Some of the preventive measures have been discussed that may prevent the accidents. The system is designed in such a way that remedial measures reach the area in stipulated time. GIS can be used in managing those critical conditions. Incase of any medical help we make use of GPS to locate the nearby ambulance and guide the ambulance in optimized path. Apart from the life damage, next criteria to be addressed are to manage the jammed traffic. This could be achieved by routing algorithm to find the alternative path. Next ,the major part of managing the system to guide the ambulance from the accident spots to the hospital is taken in to focus. Emergency Response Service: The typical Emergency response service is shown here. A operator in the communication center receives a request for service, usually by phone or two-way radio or by mobile device having ArcPad. Once the information is received, he feeds into the system. Next, the accident management system assesses the geographical location and the availability of the ambulance based upon the particular assignment hierarchy established by the management. It is a generally accepted rule to send the closest unit to the incident. It may also be possible to send appropriate first aid wing based on the type of accidents. The response unit gathers any necessary equipment that may not be resident on the vehicle and proceeds to the specified location.The total system response time is represented by the time interval between the call notification and the arrival on the scene. However, it is common for EMS systems to view response time delay without the dispatch delay, not taking into consideration the factors external to the mobilization process. The entire process is depicted as a flowchart in figure 1.  Figure 1.Emergency Response Service In cases where medical attention is deemed necessary, the crew determines the appropriate medical facility that can best address the needs of the individual. After arriving at the hospital, the patient is transferred to the hospital staff. Before returning to duty, the EMS crew spends additional time completing reports and cleaning and resupplying the ambulance unit. After these steps have been completed the crew returns to their base location. The total service time is the time elapsed from the reception of the initial call to the unit’s departure from the hospital. Route analysis: Care should be taken to ensure that all signs along a route are consistent and provide a continuous accurate stream of information to the driver. Sufficient advanced warning should be provided to allow drivers to make decisions about their route choices and associated lane or direction changes. After major junctions it is useful to confirm the road number and destinations of the road. Care should be taken either, to provide for safe “U turns” or to prevent this manoeuvre on the main carriageway. It is important not to use too many traffic management techniques in rural locations areas and to respect the nature of the site and route. Use Of GIS In EMS: ArcGIS Tracking analyst is used to track and record the data as it occurs. With the ArcGIS Tracking Analyst extension, a new connection to a tracking service that can stream real-time temporal data to track events as they occur. Use ArcCatalog to set up the connection and add data directly into ArcMap, where you can play the data on a map background. You can also add and symbolize fixed-time data to play on the map. Further Scopes: Crash (accident) Migration The term crash migration (also referred to as accident migration) describes an increase in crashes at sites in the vicinity of a black spot following the treatment of that black spot away from the treated site to the surrounding area. Whether crash migration is a real effect in a Black Spot treatment remains a controversial topic, which has not been adequately resolved by road safety experts. Therefore the analysis has not attempted to deal with crash migration. Limitation:
Conclusion: This paper gives overview of how accident management system could be implemented which in turn reduce manual analysis, but effective in preventing many accidents. If so it saves many lives. System’s analysis could be more refined by adding more key factors that determines black spots and possible solutions. Reference:
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