Road Safety Performance Indicators and Prediction Modelling: A Comprehensive Review of Risk Factors, Assessment Frameworks, and Emerging Technologies

Road traffic accidents constitute one of the most significant public health and transportation challenges globally, causing approximately 1.19 million fatalities and more than 50 million injuries annually. Despite substantial improvements in vehicle safety technologies, roadway infrastructure, and traffic management systems, road crashes continue to impose severe social and economic burdens, particularly in developing countries. Traditional road safety assessment methodologies primarily rely on reactive indicators such as accident frequency, fatalities, and injury severity. However, these indicators often fail to identify emerging risks and underlying safety deficiencies before crashes occur. Recent developments in transportation engineering have emphasized the use of Road Safety Performance Indicators (RSPIs), predictive analytics, machine learning, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to support proactive safety management. This review critically examines the evolution of road safety research, major crash causation factors, safety assessment methodologies, accident prediction models, black spot identification techniques, and emerging technological interventions. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of performance indicators with prediction modelling frameworks. The review incorporates findings from recent studies and integrates the concepts developed in the doctoral research entitled “Development of a Framework for Road Safety Performance Indicators using Prediction Modelling�, which focuses on highway safety assessment in Madhya Pradesh, India. The study highlights the importance of combining exposure indicators, outcome indicators, behavioural indicators, infrastructure indicators, and system performance measures within a unified framework. Research gaps, future directions, and policy implications are discussed to support evidence-based road safety management and sustainable transportation development.