The use of geographical information systems to enhance road safety analysis

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in road safety analysis has increased rapidly in recent years. They have proved to be effective in answering simple accident enquiries and identifying single sites with a high number of accidents; however, this nowhere near represents their full potential. This paper describes a number of additional applications that make use of a GIS and include methods to better identify mistakes in the police accident report forms, improve the selection of routes and areas suitable for remedial treatment, provide additional information on the safety of school based journeys and identify the home location of road accident casualties. These improvements in the quantity and quality of information should lead to a more accurate and efficient selection of engineering measures and road safety campaigns.