Identification of Severity Factors and Risk Areas of Southern Expressway Accidents

Introduction of the Expressway concept to the road network of the Country is undoubtedly a development which has made transportation and commuting easy and time saving. “Southern Expressway Project”, commenced in 2003, is the first national highway in Sri Lanka. However, the number of accidents and the severity of the accidents in the Southern Expressway reflect an increase over the years. This study attempted to analyse the severity factors of accidents in expressways. The study utilized secondary data collected by the Southern Expressway Operation, Maintenance and Management Division (EOMMD) during the period 2011 to 2018. The Preliminary Analysis was followed by Hotspot Analysis under quantitative techniques and Photographic survey along with live driving experience methods under qualitative techniques. Study also collected information from the officers of the Expressway Management via discussions in order to triangulate and validate the results. Accident prone locations for severe and minor level accidents were identified along with the significant reasons for accidents. Among the numerous reasons affecting the severity of the accidents, the behavioural factors such as drunk driving, fatigue and driving speed were significant. Animal crossing across the highway was also a critical factor of accident severity levels. Roadside landscape and structural elements were also found to be important factors to be considered for the national policy on safety management of expressways in Sri Lanka. The study also proposed measures to be taken to minimize the severity level of accidents.