@article{ref1,
title="Behavioural factors in accidents at road junctions: the use of a genetic algorithm to extract descriptive rules from police case files",
journal="Accident analysis and prevention",
year="1998",
author="Wright, Roosevelt and Forsyth, R. and Clarke, David D.",
volume="30",
number="2",
pages="223-234",
abstract="In-depth studies of behavioural factors in road accidents using conventional methods are often inconclusive and costly. To explore an alternative approach, 200 cross-flow junction road accidents were sampled from the files of Nottinghamshire Constabulary, England, coded for computer analysis using a specially devised 'Traffic Related Action Analysis Language', and then examined using a genetic algorithm (or 'rule-finder' program). For comparison, the same analyses were carried out on 100 descriptions of safe turns, and 100 of hypothetical accident descriptions provided by experienced drivers. A number of findings emerged, distinguishing between accidents turning onto and off major roads; those of younger and older drivers; those that resulted in injury or in damage only; and so on. The study suggests that multiple case-studies based on police case files could be very promising, provided homogeneous samples of accidents are used. Genetic algorithms could play a useful role in preliminary assessment, but an 'information bottleneck' remains to be overcome in capturing enough detail from each case for analysis.",
language="en",
issn="0001-4575",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}