A Risk Analysis of Road Accidents on Tourist Routes of Khorasan Razavi Province
Subject Areas : مطالعات اجتماعی و گردشگری، جامعه شناسی گردشگریMasoume Tavangar 1 , mahdi bazargan 2 , alireza moeini 3
1 -
2 - university ferdowsi of mashhad
3 - ACECR
Keywords: Risk Potential, Road Accidents, Tourist Routes, Khorasan Razavi Province,
Abstract :
Given the substantial growth in tourist arrivals and travel volume, the tourism sector faces a range of potential hazards, with traffic accidents being a paramount concern. In this regard, as the majority of travel to Khorasan Razavi Province involves families using private vehicles, this study sought to investigate the risk of road accidents on the province's tourist routes. To this end, the current applied research employed a descriptive-analytical approach using spatial analysis models. The study population comprised 20,004 extra-urban accidents in Khorasan Razavi Province during the year 2022 in three classes of injury, fatal, and property damage. The findings of the study revealed a nearest neighbor index of 0.09, indicating a clustered pattern of accidents along tourist routes. Furthermore, the Getis-Ord Gi spatial autocorrelation analysis identified the Chenaran, Neyshabur, Bajestan, Khaf, Sarakhs, Dargaz, and Torbat Heydarieh routes as accident hotspots. Several contributing factors were identified. It could be argued that injury accidents on the Mashhad-Neyshabur freeway are likely exacerbated by frequent pedestrian and motorcycle crossings due to dense rural settlements. Moreover, property damage accidents on the Mashhad-Torbat Heydarieh route, particularly near Sang Bast, are potentially linked to inadequate entry and exit points. In addition, on the Mashhad-Kalat to Dargaz route, the mountainous terrain, characterized by horizontal curves, sharp and frequent turns, steep gradients, and limited visibility, appears to be a significant factor in fatal accidents. Ultimately, the study concludes that the Neyshabur and Quchan to Mashhad routes exhibit the highest accident risk among the eleven tourist routes analyzed in Khorasan Razavi Province.