fa Investigation of Traffic Accident Hotspots in Yazd City using GIS سایر موارد مرتبط با بحران، حوادث وامدادونجات Other matters related to crisis, disasters and rescue & relief پژوهشي Research article <div dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 28.35pt;"><strong>INTRODUCTION:</strong> The importance of safety and prevention of traffic accidents have highlighted the necessity of research and investigation in this field. The present study aimed to identify and eliminate the risk&nbsp;factors underlying&nbsp;the&nbsp;occurrence of inner-city traffic accidents. In so doing, scientific and effective solutions can be provided at the lowest cost to implement the slogan of &quot;prevention is better than cure&quot;.<br> <strong>METHODS:</strong> In this study, the accident rate-severity index method was used to identify traffic accident hotspots. The spatial units in which this index (I) was more than twice the average of the total spatial units were identified as Hot Zones<br> <strong>FINDINGS:</strong> In the present study, the study area (6,600 meters) was divided into 66 100-meter spatial units. Using the accident rate-severity method, 6 (600 m) and 19 (1900 m) spatial units were identified as Hot Zone (9.1%) and Yellow Zone (28.8%), respectively. Finally, 41 Cold Zone spatial units (62.1%) were identified (4,100 m).<br> <strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> As evidenced by the obtained results, the following measures can be effective in the reduction of road accidents: retrospection of traffic signs in terms of number, size, location, height, installation of speed bumps in the Hot Zone and Yellow Zone spatial units, timely pruning of trees along the road-construction of underpasses and overpasses in some important points of the route (accident hotspots and Yellow Zone). Furthermore, the development of a comprehensive and long-term educational program to improve traffic safety culture in kindergartens and schools can be effective in reducing road accidents.</div> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-right: 28.35pt; text-align: justify;"><strong>INTRODUCTION:</strong> The importance of safety and prevention of traffic accidents have highlighted the necessity of research and investigation in this field. The present study aimed to identify and eliminate the risk&nbsp;factors underlying&nbsp;the&nbsp;occurrence of inner-city traffic accidents. In so doing, scientific and effective solutions can be provided at the lowest cost to implement the slogan of &quot;prevention is better than cure&quot;.<br> <strong>METHODS:</strong> In this study, the accident rate-severity index method was used to identify traffic accident hotspots. The spatial units in which this index (I) was more than twice the average of the total spatial units were identified as Hot Zones<br> <strong>FINDINGS:</strong> In the present study, the study area (6,600 meters) was divided into 66 100-meter spatial units. Using the accident rate-severity method, 6 (600 m) and 19 (1900 m) spatial units were identified as Hot Zone (9.1%) and Yellow Zone (28.8%), respectively. Finally, 41 Cold Zone spatial units (62.1%) were identified (4,100 m).<br> <strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> As evidenced by the obtained results, the following measures can be effective in the reduction of road accidents: retrospection of traffic signs in terms of number, size, location, height, installation of speed bumps in the Hot Zone and Yellow Zone spatial units, timely pruning of trees along the road-construction of underpasses and overpasses in some important points of the route (accident hotspots and Yellow Zone). Furthermore, the development of a comprehensive and long-term educational program to improve traffic safety culture in kindergartens and schools can be effective in reducing road accidents.<span dir="RTL"></span></div> Rate-Severity Index, Hot Zones, Spatial Unit Rate-Severity Index, Hot Zones, Spatial Unit 42 48 http://jorar.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-614-1&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 Alireza Tavakoli Mehr علیرضا توکلی مهر tavakolimehr@yahoo.com 10031947532846009490 10031947532846009490 No Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Iran دانشگاه علوم پزشکی یزد Mojtaba Salimi مجتبی سلیمی halvanigh@yahoo.com 10031947532846009491 10031947532846009491 No Department of Geography and Urban Planning, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran دانشگاه علوم پزشکی یزد Gholam Hossein Halvani حلوانی 10031947532846009492 10031947532846009492 No Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Iran Mahmoudreza Peyravi 10031947532846009493 10031947532846009493 No Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Management and Medical Information, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars, Iran Hekmatollah Moradi حکمت مرادی morad2063@yahoo.com 10031947532846009494 10031947532846009494 Yes Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Management and Medical Information, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars, Iran دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شیراز Milad Ahmadi Marzaleh میلاد احمدی مرزاله miladahmadimarzaleh@yahoo.com 10031947532846009495 10031947532846009495 No Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Management and Medical Information, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Fars, Iran دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شیراز