Traffic Safety

Development of a measuring instrument for in-vehicle registering of safety critical events
The aim is to develop and validate a measuring instrument for registering of traffic conflicts in the vehicle by detecting ”jerk”.  When evaluating the safety effects of ADAS, only substitute to accidents can be used, since, for natural reasons, waiting for accidents to occur is not an alternative. The best substitutes to accidents are near-accidents, i.e. traffic conflicts with a documented relationship with accidents. The method is based on the relationship between “jerk” (a sudden change in acceleration) and a traffic conflict. A measuring instrument for registering traffic conflicts in “ordinary” vehicles will allow collection of a large number of conflicts during driving and thereby provide a powerful tool in evaluating the safety effects of various ADAS systems.

Co-workers: Omar Bagdadi (PhD student), András Várhelyi (supervisor)

Automatic video analysis system for studies of trafficrelated behaviour
Automatic analysis of video recoded traffic is a valuable tool in the traffic safety work. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Centre for Mathematical Sciences at Lund University and Traffic & Roads. In February 2009 Håkan Ardö presented his doctoral dissertation ”Multi-target tracking using on-line Viterbi Optimisation and Stochastic modelling”. In September 2009 Aliaksei Laureshyn will be presenting his doctoral dissertation concerning field tests of automatic video analyses including behavioural studies (interactions, speeds, route selection, etc.) and studies of indicators on traffic safety and effectiveness. The thesis will provide guidelines for further development as well.

Co-workers: Åse Svensson (project manager), Aliaksei Laureshyn (PhD student), Christer Hydén (supervisor)
Financier: The Swedish National Road Administration
Time: 2004-2009

The Video Analysis site

Objective and subjective factors in the process of traffic planning - research based on cities' multifunctional streets
The aims of the ongoing research are to contribute to the knowledge of residents’ experiences of their own surrounding traffic environment and to sophisticate the process in which the planner applies this knowledge in practice. The project is mainly based on a questionnaire survey which was carried out in Malmö, Sweden, 2008.

Co-workers: Åse Svensson (project manager), Charlotte Wahl (PhD student), Christer Hydén (supervisor)
Financier: The Swedish National Road Administration
Time: 2005-2010

STRADA - a national traffic injury statistics (subproject Skåne)
Traffic & Roads are involved in the project for follow-up and development of methods for collecting traffic related injuries at eight hospitals in the south of Sweden (Skåne). The project is run in collaboration with the Swedish National Road Administration and Region Skåne. Coordinator: Monica Berntman

The Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique
Indirect methods, such as the Conflict Technique developed at Traffic & Roads, are used today worldwide as a necessary complement to accident analyses. The method quickly, and acurately, provides an overview of safety issues and possible solutions at a location. Contact: Åse Svensson

Brochure about the Conflict Technique

Manual for CDBASEW.EXE, a database program for storing and analysing studies carried out with the Conflict Technique. The manual is subject to changes (latest edition v1.87).

ARTISTS, an EU project with the aim of improving arterial streets in European cities. The project made certain that the various users of main streets were given the opportunity to participate as early as in the planning process. The Lund Institute of Technology was conducting the project and the Swedish City partner was Malmö Highway and Traffic Management. ARTISTS was finalized in January 2005. The aim of the work carried out by ARTISTS was to lead to improvement of the physical environment in and along the arterial streets as well as making the transport system as a whole more sustainable.

Final report: Arterial Streets for People - Guidance for planners and decision makers when reconstructing arterial streets | Fulltext

WALCYNG, a research project in the Programme Package Urban transport, DG VII Transport RTD Programme in EU's Fourth Framework Programme. It aimed at finding strategies to encourage walking and cycling as alternatives to short car trips and improve traffic safety at the same time. | More about WALCYNG

Large scale test of roundabouts in Växjö

Previous research on traffic safety concerning a large scale national test of ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation) and the projects PROSPER and MASTER are presented on the ADAS site.