A comparative study of the management of accident-prone areas on Iranian roads with target countries.

Objective: This study aims to compare the management system of accident-prone areas on Iranian roads with three selected countries: China, Japan, and Turkey, in three key areas: a) identification methods, b) corrective actions, and c) involved organizations. Method: This study was an applied research in terms of purpose and a comparative-analytical study in terms of nature, and the data collection method was library-based, reviewing documents, reports, and official policies related to road safety management and accident hotspots in Iran, China, Japan, and Turkey, and analyzing the content of related sources.

Findings: The findings show that Iran relies mainly on accident statistics provided by the police to identify accident hotspots, while Japan and China use predictive systems based on artificial intelligence and big data. In corrective measures, Iran focuses more on simple engineering interventions and law enforcement, but the compared countries use a combined approach (engineering, information technology, education, and law enforcement). Also, the institutional structure in Iran is fragmented and lacks strong central coordination, while in Japan and China, centralized and cross-sectoral institutions are responsible for guiding road safety.

Conclusion: To improve the accident-prone areas management system in Iran, it is recommended to establish a national road safety headquarters with cross-sectoral powers, develop an integrated national accident data mining system, and adopt a safe system approach in designing and modifying accident-prone areas.