Climate and Crash: Unveiling the Environmental Impact on Road Trauma

Climate change, characterised by long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation patterns and increased frequency of extreme weather events, poses substantial challenges to road safety. Understanding how these changes impact road safety is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies and enhancing infrastructure resilience. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate and synthesise existing research on the relationship between climate change-induced weather conditions and road crashes. Using the PRISMA protocol, a systematic search was conducted across three indexed databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus). From the initial 352 records following the removal of duplicates and the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 studies were selected. The review identified a consistent association between increased rates of trauma from crashes and extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall, snowfall, icy conditions, heatwaves, storms, dense fog and hailstorms. Heavy rainfall and storms were particularly impactful, significantly deteriorating road conditions and reducing visibility. Snow and ice increased the crash risk due to reduced traction, while heatwaves affected driver behaviour and vehicle performance. The control variables, including time of day, road type, traffic volume, geographic location, vehicle type, driver demographics, and seasonal variations, ensured that the observed effects were attributable to the weather conditions. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted policy interventions and infrastructure adaptations to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on road safety.