Road safety challenges in mountainous regions: A case study of the Aures Mountains, Algeria

This research analyzes traffic accidents in the mountainous area of the Aurès range from 2017 to 2022, focusing on their spatial and temporal distribution and main causes using geographic information systems and exploratory factor analysis, given their significant social and economic impacts. Initially, we conducted a quantitative analysis of traffic accidents recorded by the relevant authorities, examining their distribution and their relationship with the ongoing dynamics of the national, provincial, and municipal road networks. In addition to that, we addressed the causes of traffic accidents through exploratory factor analysis of accidents in the area. The study’s results showed that the road network in the Aurès region witnessed a total of 930 traffic accidents between 2017 and 2022, which is an average of 1 accident every two days, or 6 accidents per 1,000 people. There is a direct relationship between traffic density and the rank and importance of the road, as national roads accounted for 58.27% of all accidents, provincial roads for 30.53%, and municipal roads for 11.18%. The study also confirmed that the main factors causing traffic accidents are primarily the driver, contributing 24.85% of the variance, followed by weather conditions at 18.64%, the road itself at 12.02%, and vehicle defects at 9.01%. These results confirmed the seriousness of this phenomenon and its negative social and economic impacts, which led us to present a set of suggestions to mitigate it.