INGENIEUR
mobility. The economy would
benefit
through
reduced
journey times and improved
reliability, energy efficiency and
overall improvement in safety.
Ultimately, economic viability
and vitality in the urban areas
and nearby would be increased,
making them better and more
attractive areas for investment.
M-ROADS
Focusing on the aspect of road
safety, the Malaysian Institute of
Road Safety Research (MIROS)
has embarked on the application
of ICT with the development of
a crash data management and
intelligence system. The system
named MIROS Road Accident
Analysis and Database System
(M-ROADS) was developed to
cater for the need of crash
data analysis and information
processing. As a research
institute, with focus on road
safety research, crash data
plays a vital role in formulating
evidence-based research. Issues
identification, which is often
used in research hypotheses,
may be obtained from the system
with ease. With the development
of M-ROADS, it offers the
convenient data analysis to
aid in research formulation. Its
additional function of crash data
entry and management will allow
for efficient and accurate data
entry.
M-ROADS system was
developed encompassing two
main functions, namely onsite data entry and desktop
data analysis. An App has
been developed for convenient
data entry process and data
collection using tablets or smartphones commonly available in
the market. Users may install
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VOL 55 JUNE – JUNE
Figure 1: On-site Data Entry
M-ROADS app in any androidbased device (preferably biggersized screen tablets for a better
viewing experience) and conduct
data entry at the crash site
itself. Crash data collection such
as general crash information,
pictures
and
location
determination through GPS and
maps can be conducted using
the app (Figure 1). In addition,
the user may also draw sketch
diagrams of the crash directly
from the app. Crash records may
be stored locally in the device
(and later transmitted to the
database server when Wi-Fi is
available) or transmitted directly
to its server through the use of
its data network. This eliminates
the need for each device to
maintain data network (which is
costly) in order for the process
to complete. On-site data entry
will enhance data reliability and
accuracy as data is captured
and stored immediately.
M-ROADS
web-based
application portal was developed
to enable the user to analyse
the data. In addition to the
basic functionality of records
management, the portal also
offers users the ability to query
and analyse the data by using
the
user-friendly
interface.
Data cross-tabulation, report
generation
and
black-spot
location
identification
can
directly be done using the portal.
Data analysis features provide
flexibility for users in filtering
the dataset to match a specific
scope of inquiry. For example,
users that want to know statistics
for fatal crashes by collision type
and road geometry, occurring at
either office or shopping areas,
or occurring on federal or state
roads may do so by using record
filtering functionality in the
analysis (Figure 2).
In
addition,
filtering
functionality can also be applied
when mapping crash locations,
as depicted in Figure 3, where
fatal crash locations for express
busses are shown. Filtering
dataset functionality will allow
for focused interventions and
research to be as specific as
possible,
hence
increasing