Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
METU JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, cilt.34, sa.2, ss.225-244, 2017 (AHCI)
Junctions in urban areas, especially in the metropolitan cities are one of the most critical locations, for both transportation mobility and traffic safety. In recent years, the red light camera enforcement systems (RLCES), implemented in the major junctions are expected to contribute to urban traffic safety. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the RLCES at junctions in Ankara on both general traffic safety and the prevalence of car crashes and pedestrian accidents. The traffic safety indicators that were measured on 21 junctions where RLCES were installed were compared with 44 conventional red light signalized junctions located around the junctions with RLCES. Considering that RLCES were installed in 2010, the data on car crashes and pedestrian accidents were collected in three years period, beginning from 2009, when there was no RLCES, 2010 representing the installment year, as well as 2011 following the installment. Analyses were conducted separately on car crashes and pedestrian accidents. To better understand the effects of RLCES, junction type, year, and their interactions, 2 (junctions with and without RLCES) X 3 (year: 2009, 2010, 2011) ANOVAs were run on the number of car crashes and pedestrian accidents. Results demonstrated that there was no significant main effect of RLCES, year, and their interaction on car accidents. However, presence of RLCES had a significant effect on pedestrian accidents. Unexpectedly, the junctions having RLCES had higher pedestrian accidents on average (Mean = 1.97) than those with no RLCES (Mean = 0.61). Results were discussed considering the previous findings in Western countries.