The Effect of Low Friction in Pavement Due to Floods and High-speed Vehicles in Increasing the Number of Rescue Vehicles' Driving Accidents

The rescue operation is dangerous during floods when the street surface is wet and the rescue vehicles moving fast. Rural roads are known with a high percentage of run-off-the-road crashes and accidents, mostly affected by the unsuitable and inappropriate speed of the car and failure to keep a safe side distance from the highway alignment. Determining the length of the vertical curve and the stopping distance depends on the speed parameter in the geometric design. This parameter depends on the traffic flow and the vehicle driver. 

The calculation of distance visibility, especially in the vertical and horizontal curves, has a significant role in the geometric design of roads and the safety of roads and drivers. This study investigates changes in two critical parameters of friction surface of pavement and vehicles’ speed on the probability of accidents. In the present study, by changing the speed parameter, namely, increasing speed and decreasing friction, and reducing the distance of vision, the required vertical curve is calculated and compared with the existing curve length. Thus, when the curve length does not match the required arch length, the accident’s probability increases. 

One of the study’s findings indicates that with a 5% decrease in the friction coefficient of the vertical curve, the probability of accident increases by about 20%. The results show that an approximately 10% increase in speed can raise the likelihood of a crash by 25% on average.

The use of accident reduction-related strategies for rescue vehicles and ambulances will help the victims affected by natural disasters. The results showed that choosing the right speed is very important in flooded wet streets. Driving fast to speed up the relief operation not only increases the risk of traffic accidents but also slows down the relief of natural disasters. The results indicate the proper performance of the model created by the probabilistic method. Besides, this model’s use has the advantage of correctly identifying the factors affecting the increase in risk. Also, it helps to take the right measures to increase safety in the relief of natural disasters, especially floods.