Computer‐Assisted Routing of Dangerous Goods for Haute‐Normandie

Abstract

To assess the best routes for the transport of dangerous goods in an area of 600 km² in France, software based on a geographical information system was developed to manage, treat, and represent statistical and geographical data related to the evaluation of the risk of transport on a road network. The probability of an accident and release is derived from the links in a digitized network, provided by the Institut Géographique National (IGN) on a 1/50,000 scale, according to the links' characteristics. The active, student and nonactive population figures are from the 1982 census, and are distributed among categorized (i.e., urban, industrial) areas of administrative units called communes. The intersection of this population layout with an impact zone leads to a measure of the people exposed to damage. An impact zone is a corridor along a road; the diameter of the zone depends upon the nature and quantity of dangerous materials that are being transported. Multiplication of the accident probability by the number of people exposed gives an estimation of the relative risk, which is used to compare alternative routes so that the least risky route is chosen.