Predicting errors in accident hotspots and investigating satiotemporal, weather, and behavioral factors using interpretable machine learning: An analysis of telematics big data.

Journal: PloS one
Published Date: Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a major public health concern with significant health and economic burdens. Identifying high-risk areas and key contributing factors is essential for developing targeted interventions. While machine learning (ML) has been increasingly used to predict RTAs, the lack of interpretability limits its applicability in policymaking. This study aimed to utilize interpretable ML models to predict the occurrence of errors in road accident hotspots using telematics data in Iran and interpret the most influential predictors.

Authors

  • Ali Golestani
    Department of Medical Physics, Alberta Heath Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
  • Nazila Rezaei
    Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Mohammad-Reza Malekpour
    Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Naser Ahmadi
    Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Seyed Mohammad-Navid Ataei
    Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Sepehr Khosravi
    Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Ayyoob Jafari
    Faculty of Electrical, Biomedical and Mechatronics Engineering, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.
  • Saeid Shahraz
    Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, USA.
  • Farshad Farzadfar
    Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Keywords

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals