Objective To investigate the spatial patterns of road traffic injuries in Liuzhou city, and to provide scientific basis for traffic injury prevention and control.
Methods The method of inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation of geographic information system (GIS) technology was employed to detect the spatial distribution pattern of road traffic injuries in Liuzhou city and to make visual analysis.
Results From 2000-2009, a major fluctuation was observed in the number of traffic accidents and casualties of road traffic injuries in Liuzhou city, and a minor one in death toll and direct economic losses after peak value. The order of accident frequency was Yufeng District > Liubei District > Chengzhong District > Liunan District. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that the average Moran's I Z was 6.113>1.96, P<0.05, indicating there existed spatial clustering. IDW analysis showed that the road traffic injuries concentrated mainly in the sections of Donghuan Road of Yufeng District, Liujiangyiqiao to Yufeng Road, Pingshan Avenue of Jianpanshan Road, Yuejin Road of Liubei District, Middle Tanzhong Road and West Tanzhong Road. The road traffic injury thematic maps showed that traffic accidents gathered in the downtown area in 2004, and gradually removed away from the downtown area and concentrated in the urban-rural fringe in 2005-2009.
Conclusion The road traffic injuries of Liuzhou city are serious during 2000-2009. GIS can be used to detect and locate the high-risk areas, and to provide a visual basis for road traffic injury control and prevention.
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