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Safety Evaluation of Highways with Sharp Curves in Highland Mountainous Areas Using an Enhanced Stacking and Low-Cost Dataset Production Method

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  • Xu Gong

    (School of Engineering, Tibet University, Lhasa 850032, China
    Plateau Major Infrastructure Smart Construction and Resilience Safety Technology Innovation Center, Lhasa 850032, China)

  • Wu Bo

    (School of Engineering, Tibet University, Lhasa 850032, China
    Plateau Major Infrastructure Smart Construction and Resilience Safety Technology Innovation Center, Lhasa 850032, China
    Intelligent Transport System Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China)

  • Fei Chen

    (Intelligent Transport System Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China)

  • Xinhang Wu

    (School of Engineering, Tibet University, Lhasa 850032, China
    Plateau Major Infrastructure Smart Construction and Resilience Safety Technology Innovation Center, Lhasa 850032, China)

  • Xue Zhang

    (School of Engineering, Tibet University, Lhasa 850032, China
    Plateau Major Infrastructure Smart Construction and Resilience Safety Technology Innovation Center, Lhasa 850032, China)

  • Delu Li

    (School of Engineering, Tibet University, Lhasa 850032, China
    Plateau Major Infrastructure Smart Construction and Resilience Safety Technology Innovation Center, Lhasa 850032, China)

  • Fengying Gou

    (School of Engineering, Tibet University, Lhasa 850032, China
    Plateau Major Infrastructure Smart Construction and Resilience Safety Technology Innovation Center, Lhasa 850032, China)

  • Haisheng Ren

    (Intelligent Transport System Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China)

Abstract

This paper proposes an integrated tree model architecture and a low-cost data construction method based on an improved Stacking strategy. It systematically analyzes the importance of safety indicators for mountainous sharp bends in plateau regions and conducts safety evaluation and optimization-strategy research for ten typical sharp-bend road segments in Tibet. In response to the challenges of traditional data collection in Tibet’s unique geographical and policy constraints, we innovatively use drone aerial video as the data source, integrating Tracker motion trajectory analysis, SegFormer road segmentation, and CAD annotation techniques to construct a dataset covering multi-dimensional features of “human–vehicle–road–environment” for mountainous plateau sharp-bend highways. Compared with similar studies, the cost of this dataset is significantly lower. Based on the strong interpretability of tree models and the excellent generalization ability of ensemble learning, we propose an improved Stacking strategy tree model structure to interpret the importance of each indicator. The Spearman correlation coefficient and TOPSIS algorithm are used to conduct safety evaluation for ten sharp-bend roads in Tibet. The results show that the output of the improved Stacking strategy and the sensitivity analysis of the three tree models indicate that curvature variation rate and acceleration are the most significant factors influencing safety, while speed and road width are secondary factors. The study also provides a safety ranking for the ten selected sharp-bend roads, offering a reference for the 318 Quality Improvement Project. From the perspective of indicator importance, curvature variation rate, acceleration, vehicle speed, and road width are crucial for the safety of mountainous plateau sharp-bend roads. It is recommended to implement speed limits for vehicles and widen the road-bend radius. The technical framework constructed in this study provides a reusable methodology for safety assessment of high-altitude roads in complex terrains.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu Gong & Wu Bo & Fei Chen & Xinhang Wu & Xue Zhang & Delu Li & Fengying Gou & Haisheng Ren, 2025. "Safety Evaluation of Highways with Sharp Curves in Highland Mountainous Areas Using an Enhanced Stacking and Low-Cost Dataset Production Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-24, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5857-:d:1687294
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. César De Santos-Berbel & Sara Ferreira & António Couto & António Lobo, 2024. "Development of Motorway Horizontal Alignment Databases for Accurate Accident Prediction Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Longyu Shi & Nigar Huseynova & Bin Yang & Chunming Li & Lijie Gao, 2018. "A Cask Evaluation Model to Assess Safety in Chinese Rural Roads," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Qin Li & Jingya Cui & Xingping Wu & Zonghao Chen & Shuangning Lv & Yijun Liu & Wenlong Li, 2025. "Evaluation of Rural Road Traffic Safety in Loess Plateau Gully Area of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-20, January.
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