Geographic Information System in the Spatial Analysis of Urban Traffic Accidents in Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

considering the high rates of traffic accidents, care provided to victims must be fast and efficient. The objective was to analyze the density of traffic accidents and the profile of the victims assisted by the 4th Fire Department in Cascavel. It was also intended to analyze traffic signs and a place to build a new Fire Station. Geographic Information System and geoprocessing resources were used to identify the traffic accidents hotspots applying kernel density estimation. The victims' profile and their association with the severity of the injuries were obtained based on the chi-square statistic and the correspondence analysis. Field data were investigated to verify traffic signs at accident locations that involved victims with severity of more serious injuries. Most accidents occurred in the afternoon, involving men between 18 and 30 years old. Running over was the occurrence that most stood out considering the severity of the victims, with locations without any traffic signs. Moreover, a plot that meets all the requested criteria and is located in a region of high occurences of traffic accidents was found to build the new station.