The incidence and factors associated with the severity of injuries from road traffic accidents at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai Province were analyzed using a Geographic Information Technology System

Abstract

Road traffic accidents are a significant problem affecting lives and economies in many countries, including Thailand, where road traffic fatalities are on the rise. This is particularly true within the Chiang Mai University area, where repeated incidents occur. A literature review revealed that road accidents have not been studied in the university context, and in-depth, local-level analysis is limited to identifying risk areas. This aims to generate knowledge and support the development of effective traffic accident prevention measures in the area.

The study aimed to study the incidence and identify factors associated with the severity of traffic accidents, as well as to study the density of accidents in the Chiang Mai University area, using a geographic information technology system, which collected data from the Chiang Mai University Accident Surveillance System database from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024, analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

The incidence of minor injuries was 71.2%. Factors affecting accident severity were the type of injury (AOR; 2.84, 95%CI; 1.54, 5.24), passenger seating position (AOR; 5.10, 95%CI; 1.14, 22.75), and the time period 04.31 PM – 12.30 AM and 12.31 AM – 8.30 AM, which showed the highest likelihood of road traffic accident severity, with statistically significant AOR values ​​of 1.91 (95%CI; 1.11, 3.28) and 3.45 (95%CI; 1.07, 11.17). 6 key risk areas with the highest accident incidence were identified.

The results of this study can be used to plan area-based safety measures, focusing on managing key risk areas and raising safety awareness to ensure safe and sustainable traffic flow within the university.