Structural Analysis of Damage Severity and Collision Direction in Four-Wheel Vehicle-to-Vehicle Accidents Using the National Police Agency Traffic Accident Statistics Open Data (Japan)

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the structural characteristics of vehicle damage risk in four-wheel vehicle-to-vehicle accidents using the Traffic Accident Statistics Open Data published by the National Police Agency of Japan. Damage severity (levels 0–3) was modeled using an ordered logit framework to estimate its probability distribution, while collision direction was analyzed through cross-tabulation with explanatory variables. The results indicate that factors such as terrain, road configuration, vehicle type, and party classification influence both damage severity and collision orientation. Because the analysis is based on observed frequencies that reflect real traffic conditions in Japan, the findings provide practical insights into the actual patterns present in the current traffic environment. However, this study does not aim to extract latent risk factors using predictive modeling; rather, it focuses on visualizing the structural characteristics embedded in the empirical accident data.