This paper describes the development of an expert system prototype for highway safety improvement programs. The objective of the expert system is to provide highway safety officials with an efficient and reliable tool to identify accident prone locations and then quickly and reliably advise on the appropriate countermeasure(s) based on the analysis of the accident and roadway environment data. The system has three basic components: Detection, Diagnosis and Remedy. This paper provides a brief discussion of each of the components and the issues which may arise during their development. A new method for identifying accident prone locations based on the assessment of the contributing factors to accidents is proposed. The method uses fuzzy pattern recognition techniques. Also included is a discussion of developing safety countermeasures under the concept of the "forgiving highways". Finally, a discussion is presented on the potential contributions of the expert system approach to solve highway safety problems. (A)
Samenvatting