A multinomial logit model: Safety risk analysis of interchange area based on aggregate driving behavior data

Urban expressway interchanges have become accident-prone sites owing to the accelerated increase in motor-vehicle ownership. This study explored the impact of factors, including day of the week, time of day, congestion level, traffic control devices, and road conditions, on road safety risk levels in the interchange area of an urban expressway based on aggregate driving behavior data.

A large amount of aggregate driving behavior data were obtained from AutoNavi navigation software. The database was built by matching various types of data and observing their characteristics. Day of the week, time of day, congestion level, road conditions (number of lanes, traffic disturbance, and traffic control devices [the type of advance guide sign system, number of warning signs, and the complexity of the diagrammatic guide sign]) were identified as the explanatory variables. The traffic order index (TOI), based on driving behavior and speed variation, was used to evaluate the road safety risk levels, including risky roads, general roads, and safe roads, which served as the response variables. The multinomial logit model (MNL) was developed to explore the impact of various factors, including traffic control devices and road conditions, on road safety risk levels.

The results showed that the factors that significantly influence risky roads include day of the week, number of lanes, congestion level (slow moving), traffic disturbance (with the merge or diverge within 500 m), type of advance guide sign system (three-level advance guide sign system), and complexity of diagrammatic guide signs (low or medium complexity). Practical Applications: This study could offer plausible suggestions for traffic management departments for the rehabilitation of road conditions and traffic control devices in urban expressway interchange areas.