Hotspot Stability of Freight Vehicle Crashes Involving Vulnerable Road Users: A Spatio-Temporal Perspective
Project Description
This research will analyze the interaction between two of the most different transportation road users that interact on roads—freight vehicles and vulnerable road users (VRU), i.e., pedestrians and bicyclists. The research objective of this project is to identify the temporal stability of hotspots in (1) non-fatal crashes, (2) fatal crashes, and (3) all crashes (non-fatal and fatal) between freight vehicles and VRU in two U.S. States. This research proposes a novel spatiotemporal analysis to answer whether crash hotspots intensify over time (i.e., the number of crashes increases over time at the same location) or if it stays the same over time.
In terms of processes, the first one is collecting the data on fatal, non-fatal, and all crashes of both States into a single file, cleaning it, and ensuring its validity/accuracy/consistency. Once the data collection is ready, the second process focuses on merging the panel data into a space-time cube. This arrangement will host on a single data array geographical and temporal data of the total number of (1) non-fatal crashes, (2) fatal crashes, and (3) all crashes between freight vehicles and VRU for each State. The third process is calculating a Local Indicator of Spatial Association Statistic (the Gettis Ord*) to identify crash hotspot locations for each year of analysis for each State, and estimate emerging hotspot patterns based on the panel data results. The fourth process will use crash hotspot locations (identified in process three) and data from the County Business Pattern data, the Census Tract Data, and the American Community Survey to compare urban economic and built environment characteristics between different types of hotspots (e.g., recent versus consecutive hotspots), and identify common factors and differences. Specifically, we will compute an ANOVA and a post hoc test to identify statistical differences between crash hotspot locations. The last process focuses on visualizing the results on a geographic information system (GIS) software or tables for statistical analysis.
The results of the spatiotemporal analysis will be correlated with urban economic and built environment features to identify common factors in hotspot locations that could have influenced road crashes in both States. These factors include built environment attributes and the number of establishments by industry sector, among others.
Outputs
The research project has four deliverables.
1. Project report with a detailed research project description, including its objectives, methodology, challenges, results, recommendations, and conclusions. The report will be a comprehensive record of the research project's lifecycle.
2. Research paper that will underscore the novelty of the research, i.e., a spatio-temporal crash hotspot analysis between freight vehicles and VRUs. The paper will contribute to the road safety body of literature by sharing the research findings and advancing knowledge in the field.
3. Presentation or poster to disseminate the research findings at academic conferences, such as the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting or the American Society of Civil Engineering International Conference on Transportation and Development.
4. Two workshops to discuss the research results. Dr. Rivera-Gonzalez will lead a seminar in New Mexico, while Dr. Calderon will lead one in Tennessee.
Outcomes/Impacts
This data-driven research will identify locations with the highest conflict rates between freight vehicles and vulnerable road users in two states. By determining the spatial stability of crash hotspots, this study will establish the foundation for evidence-based policies that inform targeted infrastructure improvements and policy recommendations to facilitate more efficient goods movement and improve the safety of our transportation systems. As part of the research outcomes, two stakeholder workshops will be conducted to discuss findings and implications. Dr. Rivera-Gonzalez (PI) will lead a workshop in New Mexico, while Dr. Calderon (Co-PI) will conduct one in Tennessee, leveraging the researchers' local presence in these states. These workshops will engage interested stakeholders in collaborative discussions to develop practical solutions for improving our transportation system.
Dates
12/1/2025 to 11/30/2026
Universities
University of New Mexico
Principal Investigator
Carlos Rivera-Gonzalez
crg@unm.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6032-999X
Project Partners
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Project Funding
$115,498
Contract Number
69A3552348336
Project Number
25UNM01
Research Priority
Promoting Safety