TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of climate change on winter road maintenance and traffic accidents in the West Midlands
AU - Andersson, AK
AU - Chapman, Lee
PY - 2011/1/1
Y1 - 2011/1/1
N2 - Winter weather can be a significant cause of road traffic accidents. This paper uses UKCIP climate change scenarios and a temporal analogue to investigate the relationship between temperature and severe road accidents in the West Midlands, UK. This approach also allows quantification of the changes in the severity of the winter season over the next century in the region. It is demonstrated that the predicted reduction in the number of frost days should in turn reduce the number of road accidents caused due to slipperiness by approximately 50%. However, the paper concludes by warning against complacency in winter maintenance regimes. A warmer climate may result in budget cuts for highway maintenance which in turn may well reverse declining accident trends.
AB - Winter weather can be a significant cause of road traffic accidents. This paper uses UKCIP climate change scenarios and a temporal analogue to investigate the relationship between temperature and severe road accidents in the West Midlands, UK. This approach also allows quantification of the changes in the severity of the winter season over the next century in the region. It is demonstrated that the predicted reduction in the number of frost days should in turn reduce the number of road accidents caused due to slipperiness by approximately 50%. However, the paper concludes by warning against complacency in winter maintenance regimes. A warmer climate may result in budget cuts for highway maintenance which in turn may well reverse declining accident trends.
U2 - 10.1016/j.aap.2010.08.025
DO - 10.1016/j.aap.2010.08.025
M3 - Article
C2 - 21094326
SN - 1879-2057
VL - 43
SP - 284
EP - 289
JO - Accident Analysis & Prevention
JF - Accident Analysis & Prevention
ER -
