Motor Vehicle Collisions in London, Ontario: Estimating the influence of the built environment and children’s potential exposure
Abstract
Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for children and youth worldwide. To effectively target interventions to improve child safety, it is necessary to identify where motor vehicle collisions occur most often and what factors make these areas more hazardous. Study #1 maps collisions in London, Ontario (2010-2019) and identifies hotspots using a network kernel density estimation method within a GIS. Logistic regression analysis revealed that bike lanes were negatively associated with hotspots, while sidewalks were positively associated. Study #2 estimated children’s risk of being exposed to a motor vehicle collision while commuting to and from school, by combining collision risk data from study #1 with modelled student pedestrian volumes. Results suggest current crossing guard locations in London are not optimally deployed and should be relocated to the riskiest areas for student pedestrians. The findings of this thesis suggest that certain built environment characteristics have a significant influence on collision hotspots and should be considered in future road safety policy.