The influence of heatwaves on traffic safety in five cities across Quebec with different thermal landscapes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study assesses the impact of heatwaves on road safety in five Québec cities (Montréal, Québec City, Laval, Longueuil, and Sherbrooke) from June to September 2015-2022. Using Urban Heat Island (UHI), 90th and 95th percentile thresholds for heatwaves, we analyze their effects on collisions, traffic injuries, and killed and seriously injured (KSI) cases.

Methods

Traffic data were analyzed across two heatwave definitions, utilizing a time-stratified case-crossover design. UHI was approximated using the annual maximum of mean warm-season land surface temperatures (LST) derived from Landsat 8 (30 m resolution) over three consecutive years, identifying areas that stay hotter during the day and radiate excess heat at night. Heatwaves were defined as periods of at lea

SUBMITTER: Nazif-Munoz JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11869667 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature