Road safety assessment of small management units considering smart roadway retrofitting

Road safety risk assessment is an important strategy for promoting the optimization of operation and maintenance management. However, the increasingly refined road management units pose challenges to the traditional risk level assessment framework, especially in considering longitudinal assessment and comparison of smart road retrofits. Therefore, this study proposes an assessment framework based on accident risk attributes, which emphasizes refined comparative analysis based on district and county management units. The improved VIKOR model is used to evaluate the current risk level, and the inherent connection between accident risk factors and the severity of consequences is explored based on different risk levels in the same context, focusing on high and low performing districts at different stages of development. The results show that the 11 variables considered in the streamlined framework can widely obtain the regional road safety status. Meanwhile, smart roadway retrofitting significantly improve safety in developed regions, especially through infrastructure upgrades and better traffic management. However, underperforming regions still face challenges related to inadequate lighting, complex terrain, and insufficient traffic control. Targeted interventions, including infrastructure optimization, traffic rule enforcement, and enhanced driver education, are needed to ensure consistent levels of road safety across all regions.