Journal of Babylon University/Engineering Sciences/ No.(3)/ Vol.(23): 2015 571 Evaluation of Traffic Accidents Rates in Al-Diwaniya City Jalal Taqi Shaker Al-Obaedi Department of Roads and Transport Engineering, University of Al-Qadisiya. JALALALOBAEDI@GMAIL.COM Abstract Although the enhancing of traffic safety is the main concern of the local highways agencies, traffic accidents have been increased rapidly in recent decades mainly due to sharp increase in vehicles using road networks. In order to limit such increase, the causes of accidents should be analyzed properly so as to consider proper solutions. This paper uses real data taken from the local traffic agency in Al-Diwaniya city for the period from 2004 to 2013 to indentify the frequency and causes of traffic accidents.Questionnaire technique has also used in this study to show the percentage of unrecorded accidents. The results showed that the average deaths in the city caused by traffic accidents was found to be 33 deaths per 100000 population which is much higher than the world’s average death rates of 18 deaths per 100000 population. It is found that more than 50% of traffic accidents are related to drivers’ errors while the faults which may happen for vehicles are representing about 24%. About 46% of the recorded accidents are found to be when vehicles are hitting pedestrians while about 32% of accidents are related to vehicle collisions. This suggests that some attention should be given to enhance the pedestrians’ safety. The questionnaire results showed that about 21% of accidents are not recorded within the local traffic agency and 39% of vehicles are involving traffic accidents. Some recommendations are suggested in order to reduce traffic accidents such as the use of median barriers to regulate pedestrians crossing, and the use of intersections channelizing, tunnels and bridges so as to reduce traffic collisions. Keywords: Traffic safety, accident types, accident statistics, accidents questionnaire ﺍﻟﺨﻼﺼﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺭﻏﻡ ﻤﻥ ﺍﻥ ﺘﺤﺴﻴﻥ ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﻫﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻁﻠﺏ ﺍﻻﺴﺎﺴﻲ ﻟﻠﺩﻭﺍﺌﺭ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻨﻴﺔ ﺒﺎﻟﻁﺭﻕ ﻓﺎﻥ ﻤﻌﺩﻻﺕ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺘﺯﺍﻴﺩ ﻤﺴﺘﻤﺭ ﻜﻨﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﺤﺘﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺯﻴﺎﺩﺓ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﺩﺓ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺩﺩ ﺍﻟ ﻤﺭﻜﺒﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺩﻤﺔ ﻟﺸﺒﻜﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻁﺭﻕ. ﻟﻐﺭﺽ ﺘﺤﺠﻴﻡ ﺍﻟﺯﻴﺎﺩﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﻴﺠﺏ ﺩﺭﺍﺴﺔ ﺍﺴﺒﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﻟﻐﺭﺽ ﻋﻤل ﺍﻻﻗﺘﺭﺍﺤﺎﺕ ﻭﺍﻟﺤﻠﻭل ﺍﻟﻼﺯﻤﺔ. ﻓﻲ ﻫﺫﺍ ﺍﻟﺒﺤﺙ ﺘﻡ ﺍﺴﺘﺨﺩﺍﻡ ﺒﻴﺎﻨﺎﺕ ﺤﻘﻴﻘﻴﺔ ﻤﻥ ﻤﺩﻴﺭﻴﺔ ﻤﺭﻭﺭ ﺍﻟﺩﻴﻭﺍﻨﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺠ ﻠﺔ ﻟﻠﻔﺘﺭﺓ ﻤﻥ2004 ﻭﻟﻐﺎﻴﺔ2013 . ﻜﺫﻟﻙ ﺘﻡ ﻋﻤل ﺍﺴﺘﻤﺎﺭﺓ ﺍﺴﺘﺒﻴﺎﻥ ﻟﻤﻌﺭﻓﺔ ﻋﺩﺩ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻐﻴﺭ ﻤﺴﺠﻠﺔ ﻀﻤﻥ ﻤﺩﻴﺭﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭ. ﺒﻴﻨﺕ ﺍﻟﻨﺘﺎﺌﺞ ﺒﺎﻥ ﻤﻌﺩل ﺍﻟﻭ ﻓﻴﺎﺕ ﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻤﻌﻴﻨﺔ ﻨﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﻫﻲ33 ﺤﺎﻟﺔ ﻭﻓﺎﺓ ﻟﻜل ﻤﺌﺔ ﺍﻟﻑ ﻤﻭﺍﻁﻥ ﻭﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻫﻲ ﺍﻋﻠﻰ ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺩل ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻲ ﻟﺴﻨﺔ2010 ﻭﺍﻟﺒﺎﻟﻎ18 ﺤﺎﻟﺔ ﻭﻓﺎﺓ ﻟﻜل ﻤﺌﺔ ﺍﻟﻑ ﻤﻭﺍﻁﻥ. ﻭﻭﺠﺩ ﺒﺎﻥ50 % ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﻫﻲ ﻨﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﺍﺨﻁﺎﺀ ﻓﺭﺩﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﺴﺎﺌﻕ ﻭ24 % ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﻫﻲ ﻨﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﻋﻁل ﻤﻔﺎﺠﺊ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺭ ﻜﺒﺎﺕ. ﻭﻭﺠﺩ ﺍﻴﻀﺎ ﺒﺎﻥ46 % ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﻫﻲ ﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺩﻫﺱ ﻭ32 % ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﻫﻲ ﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﺼﻁﺩﺍﻡ ﻭﻫﺫﺍ ﻴﺅﺸﺭ ﻀﺭﻭﺭﺓ ﺘﻭﻓﻴﺭ ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺎﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻼﺯﻤﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﺸﺎﺓ. ﻨﺘﺎﺌﺞ ﺍﺴﺘﻤﺎﺭﺓ ﺍﻻﺴﺘﺒﻴﺎﻥ ﻭﻀﺤﺕ ﺒﺎﻥ21 % ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﻫﻲ ﻏﻴﺭ ﻤﺴﺠﻠﺔ ﻀﻤﻥ ﻤﺩﻴﺭﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺩﻴﻨﺔ ﻭﻜﺫﻟﻙ ﻭﺠﺩﺕ ﺒﺎﻥ39 % ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻜﺒﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻭﺍﺠﺩ ﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺩﻴﻨﺔ ﺴﺒﻕ ﻭﺍﻥ ﺘﻌﺭﻀﺕ ﻟﺤﺎﺩﺙ ﻭﺍﺤﺩ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻻﻗل. ﻜﻤﺎ ﻭﺘﻡ ﺍﻟﺘﻭﺼﻴﺔ ﺒﺒﻌﺽ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺘﺭﺤﺎﺕ ﻟﺘﻘﻠﻴل ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﻤﺜل ﺍﺴﺘﺨﺩﺍﻡ ﺤﻭﺍﺠﺯ ﺍﻟﺠﺯﺭﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﻭﺴﻁﻴﺔ ﻟﺘﻨﻅﻴﻡ ﻋﺒﻭﺭ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﺎﺓ ﻭﺍﺴﺘﺨﺩﺍﻡ ﺍﻟﻘﻨﻭﺍﺕ، ﺍﻟﺠﺴﻭﺭ ﻭﺍﻻﻨﻔﺎﻕ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺘﻘﺎﻁﻌﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ ﻟﺘﻘﻠﻴل ﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﺎﺩﻡ. ﺍﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﻔﺘﺎﺤﻴﺔ: ﺍﻟ ﺴﻼﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺭﻭﺭﻴﺔ، ﺍﻨﻭﺍﻉ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ، ﺍﺤﺼﺎﺌﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ، ﺍﺴﺘﻁﻼﻉ ﻟﻠﺤﻭﺍﺩﺙ 1. Introduction and Literature Review Reducing traffic accident rates is the main goal of highways designers. However, traffic accidents have been increased rapidly in recent decades mainly due to a sharp increase in vehicles using road networks. According to the USA National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA),the annual deaths due to traffic accidents were about 10-15 cases per 100000 population. The World Health Organisation(WHO) made a survey covering most of the World’s countries, including Iraq, and reported that the number of deaths over the world reached about 1.24 million