Effect of Wind Induced on Road Accident along East Coast Expressway (ECE)

摘要

The impact of cross wind speed depends on the roughness of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), terrain and topography. Often the impacts of cross wind speed on traffic accidents are taken for granted and not incorporated into the road safety. It is a common knowledge that wind speed may induce road accident. Cross wind phenomena are broadly applied to all condition and are prevalent on some highway segments on the variation of topographic premises that wind drag effects promotes responsive driver behaviour and enhances alertness. Wind has an adverse effect on vision especially when wind blows obstacles such as debris and sand onto the road. The presence of obstacles has significant impact on the wind speed and alters the wind direction and thus will make situation more disorienting for drivers. Based on the synthesis aggregate of wind speed and terrain by mapping out specific areas where action is needed to access possibility of the accident prone location, wind impact study was carried out for an uninterrupted traffic flow on east coastal expressway. It is notable that the main focus of the research is to predict the changes of crosswind effect along the terrain of East Coast Expressway (ECE) and to warn road users to make better travelling on the expressway. With regard to that, GIS technique was used to establish database of study area, analysed effect of topographic variation in slope and the future wind pattern adapt to terrain change was determined. The survey data is supplemented with digital elevation model, one of the raster for GIS layer which was provided by Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Malaysia (JUPEM) and ancillary accident data statistic along ECE was provided by Kuantan police traffic and Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM). Result shows that various characteristic of wind, slope and contour of topography affect the wind speed analysis. The scenario resembles that crosswind speed values are increased with the slope values where result shows that at KM133 with high slope 72.35°, the crosswind speed was depicted as 35km/hr which has exceeded from the safe crosswind of 15km/hr. One plausible reason is that variation in level of height distraction lead for a significant experiencing in wind speed. The study concluded that wind speed has the potential to trigger accidents of which has significant effect on road safety. The findings in this study can be incorporated into wider strategy for dynamic traffic management as it is very beneficial for the decision makers and authorities to monitor the effect of wind induced accidents along coastal expressway and propose adapting for a long term solution.