Road Accidents

Engineer-einjel's note:

More than two years passed since I started to hear and learn about road accidents - its implications in a society's economy, lives lost, damaged properties, and medical costs. I did not have much journals or articles to read but my environment showed me the different issues with regard to road accidents.

Yesterday when I started to work on a road accident database, my perception and understanding of road accidents became deeper. As I read and noted every news clippings that tells about an accident, it gave a heavy burden in my heart. Take for instance this - "A man was run over by a huge truck cutting him into two at his midsection". Whew! A 50-year old house help was accidentally hit by a motorcycle which resulted to her death. The driver of a jeepney filled with teenagers which came from a beach party lose control of the vehicle's steering wheel, causing it to swerve to the right, flipped over many times, and turned turtle.

I remember even the times my father and brother encountered a motorcycle accident, a friend and his brother in another motorcycle accident as well. I could share a lot more accidents...

Only then have I realized how BIG really is the issue on ROAD SAFETY. There's a lot of folders to go through but I have somehow found a desire to finish it all and contribute to the road safety programs of the center.

Ciao! Back to work! =)

Traffic Studies: Volume Count

What is traffic volume study? Why is it important?

Traffic volume is the most basic data needed for any traffic study. Volume studies are conducted to obtain factual information on the number of vehicles and/or persons that pass at a specified point on the highway system. The resulting volume data are expressed in relation to time. (Sigua, 2008)

So, that's the brief what and why of traffic volume count! There are a lot more about the types of volume, types of data collected, time of study, etc that you might need to know. However, it would be best to refer to Fundamentals of Traffic Engineering (Sigua, 2008) textbook.

Engineer-einjel is actually excited to share her experiences with volume studies. She had her first hand experience of conducting volume count study during a required activity for one MS course. She together with her group mates were assigned at Magsaysay Street corner Ylanan Street inside the UP Diliman Campus to do AM peak hour volume count. A survey form was prepared before the day of study. During the survey, Engineer-einjel and her companions had to tally the vehicles according to vehicle classes. The survey generally went well since a) there were four of us doing it; each assigned to every leg of the intersection, b) the streets have 2 lanes only for both directions, c) the weather was fine. A 2-hr count was bearable.

Last week however, Engineer-einjel crazily did an off peak (1pm-2pm, consider the HEAT!) volume study in Quezon Ave. and Commonwealth Ave! She counted a total of 2000+ and 3800+ for the main thoroughfares respectively. Crazy indeed because she covered for two directions:  right turn from minor road and through traffic of the major road. Ooh lala.. Hahaha! There came a point when she almost surrendered in counting and closed her eyes just for about five seconds - ah, never mind those vehicles! Geez, surely this could be a huge source of error!

This week, Engineer-einjel did a volume count in Mindanao Avenue which is a lot easier than last week's. Despite the HOT sunny day, she pulled it through. But if in the future that she will have a study similar to this, she decided to hire someone else to do the volume count instead of doing it herself. Hahaha. Those four counts are enough to tell what an experience that is!

Top 10 Most Heavily Traveled Corridor in MM

Annual Average Daily Traffic or AADT is estimated as the total volume counted over one year divided by the number of days in the year.

Traffic Engineering Center of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) conducts a yearly volume count (AADT) for the major thoroughfares in Metro Manila. The latest data as of March 2010 is that of year 2008 study. The TOP 10 MOST HEAVILY TRAVELED CORRIDORS are:

1) EDSA

2) Quezon Ave. / Commonwealth

3) Katipunan

4) SSH

5) Roxas Blvd.

6) Marcos Highway

7) Magsaysay Blvd. / Aurora Blvd.

8) A. H. Lacson / Pres. Quirino

9) Ortigas Ave.

10) Araneta Ave.