Analysis of the causes of expressway traffic accidents based on statistics of accidents on the Hunan Provincial expressway in 2012-2018

Based on the 2012–2018 accident statistics on the Hunan Provincial Expressway in China, this paper analyzes the proportion to which various factors contribute to accidents, as well as the trends over time. From 2012 to 2018, the total number of general procedure handling accidents (i.e. major accidents) increased first and then decreased, while the number of accidents and deaths per 1 000 kilometers decreased year by year. The total number of simple procedure handling accidents (i.e. minor accidents) increased year by year, but the number of accidents per 1 000 kilometers remained relatively stable. Speeding, fatigued driving, improper driving operation, failure to maintain a safe distance from the preceding vehicle, and pedestrians entering the expressway are the main causes of general procedure handling accidents. Failure to maintain a safe distance from the preceding vehicle as required and improper driving operation accounted for approximately 2/3 of the simple procedure handling accidents. In view of the accidents caused by these factors, how to use law enforcement, education, science and technology, and facilities construction to further reduce the occurrence of expressway traffic accidents is discussed.