In this report road accidents in Birmingham and the West Midlands metropolitan districts are analysed in terms and in relation to other parts of Great Britain. The casualty rate per head of population for selected road users is examined. Accident proportions are given for the number of different collisions types at various styles of junction and links of varying standard. Accident rates for several types of junction are also provided. A hierarchical classification or road standard is used to illustrate the number and proportion of different accidents in these roads, and graph plots show the spatial distribution of accidents on the road network. Information about accidents on Birmingham radial routes is reviewed and accident rates on these roads compared with those on others. Land use adjacent to the highway is utilized as a measure to provide improved descriptions of accidents on these routes. The number and type of vehicles involved in accidents is analysed and the protection afforded by different vehicles assessed by examining the severity of the injuries sustained by their occupants. The review concludes with reference to accident reduction priorities for Birmingham and contains a list of recommendations to either facilitate research in this area or for action based upon the results of the study.
Abstract