no44 2003
Effects of Preventive Measures for Specific Accident-Prone Locations

Introduction
  Although the number of traffic accident fatalities stayed consistently below 10,000 from 1976 on, it rose again above that benchmark between 1988 and 1995. During that period, the "Seven-Year Plan for Special Traffic Safety Facilities and Other Infrastructure" was formulated, with 1996 set as the first year of implementation. As the key policy of the plan, the "Emergency Measures Program for Accident-Prone Locations" was implemented by the National Police Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
  Accompanying the overview of specific accident-prone locations that we presented in ITARDA INFORMATION No. 19, and following up on the progress of this program, we have herein summarized the effects of those measures on reducing traffic accidents.

Contents
1 Selection of Accident-Prone Locations and Their Accident Occurrence Conditions Before Measures
2 Implementation of Measures Program
3 Accident-Reducing Effect of Measures Program
4 Typical Accident-Reducing Effect of Measures

Conclusion
  The Emergency Measures Program for Accident-Prone Locations was reliably executed, producing significant benefits in reducing the number of accidents at locations where measures were implemented, even as the number of accidents was increasing on main arteries nationwide.
  In spite of the measures, however, some types of accidents, such as rear-end collisions and collisions while turning left, did not decrease. Rear-end collisions occupy a particularly large proportion of the total number of accidents and are a factor in the huge increase in the number of accidents. Many of these are caused by driver errors such as lack of attention and careless driving, so it is difficult to obtain adequate results solely through measures aimed at the road and traffic environment.
  The fundamental way to reduce traffic accidents is for each and every driver to drive safely and strive to prevent accidents every day.

Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA)