• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.83-92
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• 2007

In 2004, the number of traffic crashes and deaths in Korea are 220,755 and 6,563, respectively. Korea Road Traffic Safety Authority reported that the number of traffic accidents occupies over 25% out of total accidents, and found that traffic crash probability is extremely high at intersections since intersections have various traffic conflict points. A Safety study using Traffic Conflict Technique is much more useful than a study using reported traffic accident data. Existing traffic conflict research hardly considered conflict severity occurring at intersections. So, the study developed new criteria considering conflict severity. Analytic methods precisely detecting crashing points using field surveying data, and applied an application of our new criteria. Opposing left-turn conflict criteria was devided by three groups(high severe conflict, middle severe conflict, and less severe conflict) based on conflict boundary by means of a standard vehicle length. After analyzing field surveying data(3hours), we found totally 41 opposing left-turn conflicts. 3 cases are high severe conflict, and another 10 cases are middle severe conflicts, and the other cases are less severe. Studies related in conflict severity are considerably important to evaluate intersection's detailed safety index, and existing studies(purely conflict counting does not consider severity) have a limitation to clearly determine the level of safety of intersections for an application.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.91-99
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• 2015

This study intends to build a traffic accident predictive model considering road geometrics, traffic and enviromental characteristics and identify the relationship of 4-legs intersection accidents in Seoul and Busan metropolitan area. The RPNB(Random Parameter Negative Binomial) model shows improvement over the fixed NB(Negative Binomial) and out of 53 variables, 10 variables (main road number of lane, main road vehicle traffic volume(left), minor road vehicle traffic volume(right), main road drive restriction, minor road sight distance, minor road median strip, minor road speed limit, minor road speed restriction) showed to have significant variables affecting traffic accident occurrences in 4-legs signilized intersections. Also, among 10 significant variables, 2 variables(minor road sight distance, minor road speed restriction) found to be random parameters.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.81-95
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• 1987

In line with the continued growth of car ownership, the traffic problems in central area of metropoles such as Seoul would become increasingly degraded. comparing with most western cities, the problems in Seoul are characterized by the improportionately high rates of intersection delay, station congestion, traffic accidents caused by weaving conflicts and pedestrian congestion. It is caused by the lack of flexibility I street network, which is prerequisite for upholding the efficacy of traffic management and control, resulted from the simplicity of network graph in terms of connectivity, street density and distribution by width. This pattern has been resulted from the prolonged policy pursuing the street-widening of the nagging bottleneck in such a short period since the 1950s, comparing that most western cities had undergone over several centuries an age of horse-and-vehicle transportation. In order to improve the expected traffic problems in central area over the coming periods of motorization, it is imperative to restructure the street network in Central Seoul so that the efficacy of traffic management and control may be operative. Based upon the long-range planning the street network should be restructured by stages so that cenral traffic may be controled by one-way operation and most through-traffic be detoured around fringe area.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.213-220
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• 2011

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate middle-aged drivers' driving performance and heart-rate as the behavior and physiological changes due to intersection types in left-turn situation. Background: In Korea, the drivers were aged 40~50s are most plentiful. In addition, the intersection traffic accidents are increasing every year. However, the researches for middle-aged drivers and intersection environments have been little. Method: In this study, three kinds of left-turning intersection types(T1, T2, T3) was used as the within-subject independent variables, three age groups(young, middle-aged, elderly) was used as the between-subject independent variables. Also, passing time, approaching velocity, speed and steering variations and heart-rate were used as dependent variables. Results: Overall, middle-aged drivers' driving behaviors were similar to those of the younger drivers. At the T2 intersection type, however, the approaching velocity of middle-aged drivers was similar to younger drivers, whereas the passing time of middle-aged drivers was similar to elderly drivers. Conclusion: These results could be interpreted that a transition driving behavior of middle-aged drivers in terms of age would be appeared on the T2 intersection type. Application: The results might help to understand the characteristics of driving behavior for middle-aged drivers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.321-331
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• 2017

The objective of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the pedestrian accidents of roundabout near schools. To this end, this study has focus on the comparative analysis of pedestrian accidents across different school areas. The traffic accident data from 2007 to 2014 are collected from TAAS data set of Road Traffic Authority. To develop the pedestrian accident rate model, the linear regression model has been utilized in this study. 28 explanatory variables such as geometry and traffic volume factors are used. The main results are summarized as follows. First, the null hypotheses that the number of pedestrian accidents are the same are rejected. Second, 5 multiple linear regression accident models with higher statistical significance (adjusted $R^2$ of 0.651~0.788) have been developed. Third, while the common variables of 3 models (model I~III) related to school location are evaluated to be the pedestrian island, crosswalk, types of roundabout, elementary school and bus stop. Fourth, while the common variable of 3 models (model III~V) related to near school area or not is evaluated to be pedestrian island, type of roundabout, sidewalk, elementary school, speed hump, speed limit sign and number of entry lane. As a result, the installation of pedestrian islands and crosswalk might be expected to decrease the number of pedestrian accidents near schools.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.135-146
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• 2013

PURPOSES : This study aimed to analyze the impact the operation of pre-signals at 4-leg signalized intersections and present primary environmental factors of roads that need to be considered in the installation of pre-signals. METHODS : Shift of proportions safety effectiveness evaluation method which assesses shifts in proportions of target collision types to determine safety effectiveness was applied to analyze traffic crash by types. Also, Empirical Bayes before/after safety effectiveness evaluation method was adapted to analyze the impact pre-signal installation. Negative binomial regression was conducted to determine SPF(safety performance function). RESULTS : Pre-signals are effective in reducing the number of head on, right angle and sideswipe collisions and both the total number of personal injury crashes and severe crashes. Also, it is deemed that each factor used as an independent variable for the SPF model has strong correlation with the total number of personal injury crashes and severe crashes, and impacts general traffic crashes as a whole. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the following should be considered in pre-signal installation on intersections. 1) U-turns allowed in the front and rear 2) A high number of roads that connect to the intersection 3) Many right-turn traffic flows 4) Crosswalks installed in the front and rear 5) Insufficient left-turn lanes compared to left-turn traffic flows or no left-turn-only lane.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.169-178
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• 2008

Level of Service (LOS) is one of ways to evaluate operational conditions. It is very important factor in evaluation especially for the facility of highways. However, some studies proved that ${\upsilon}/c$ ratio and accident rate is appeared like a second function which has a U-form. It means there is a gap between LOS and safety of highway facilities. Therefore, this study presents a method for evaluation of a signalized intersection which is considered both smooth traffic operation (delay) and traffic safety (accident). Firstly, as a result of our research, accident rates and EPDO are decreased when it has a big delay. In that reason, it is necessary to make a new Level of Service included traffic safety. Secondly, this study has developed a negative binominal regression model which is based on the relation between accident patterns and stream. Thirdly, standards of LOS are presented which is originated from calculation between annual delay costs and annual accident cost at each intersection. Lastly, worksheet form is presented as an expression to an estimation step of a signalized intersection with traffic accident prediction model and new LOS.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.117-125
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• 2008

Recently, users of bicycles as a green mode are rising sharply, but there are few efforts to increase bicycle safety and to decrease the number of accidents between vehicles and bicycle users. Therefore, this research seeks to improve bicycle safety at intersections by analysing causation factors of bicycle accidents pattern and providing optimal intersection design guidelines. For this study, real bicycle accident data of fifty six occurred in the Incheon metropolitan area in the year of 2005 were collected and field surveys were conducted. In addition, this research developed a bicycle accident pattern model with using multinomial logit model. The model results showed that presence of fatality, presence of traffic islands on the minor road, highway_type, weather, presence of traffic bus_stop on the major road, minor road lane width, victim induce factor are significant for bicycle safety.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2017

Accident Black Spot Improvement Project is the representative road safety intervention to eliminate environmental risk factors on the roadway by installing road safety facilities. Although it is one of the main road safety projects in Korea, there has been a lack of effort analyzing the traffic accident reduction effects of this project. In this study, therefore, we selected 4,171 road black spots from 2004 to 2013 and investigated the traffic accident reduction effects of 5 road safety facilities by using "Comparison Group(C-G)" method. Through the analysis, it was found that the number of traffic accidents were lowered by 4.45% with traffic islands, 32.17% with road paved markers, and 24.13% with speed cameras, respectively. However, 0.61% with pedestrian fencing and 1.67% with skid resistant pavement were increased on the other hand. In addition, we also analyzed traffic accident reduction facilities' performance on specific types of collision mentioned in manual on road safety facilities by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It was shown that the number of bad weather traffic accidents were reduced by 52.96% with road paved markers, pedestrians accidents were reduced by 62.77% with pedestrian fencing and rear-end collisions were reduced by 26.00% with skid resistant pavement.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.3D
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• pp.231-240
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• 2010

As majority of the traffic accidents in intersections is caused by human factor, a close examination is required on its contributing factors through measuring the psychological and physiological response according to the driving characteristics of the drivers and the road conditions. In this study, for the safety evaluation of individual intersection considering human factors of the drivers, electroencephalography reaction was measured utilizing cutting-edge measuring equipment and survey on drivers' cognitive characteristics in ordinary times and while driving test was conducted. The relationship between the electroencephalography response when approaching the intersection and cognitive evaluation survey data in driving test was clarified, and individual intersection safety evaluation model was built considering cognitive evaluation factor and the reaction of a bio-response electroencephalography data. As a result, I could find out that cognitive evaluation was made through the reaction of a bio-response (Electroencephalography) process because electroencephalography reaction of a bio-response showed differently by the physical characteristics of the intersection and cognitive evaluation had a difference.