Vehicle Safety Analysis based on a Hybrid Approach Integrating DEMATEL, ANP and ER

Vehicle related safety is the principal focus of many agencies and organizations targeting road safety issues. There are many conflicting factors contributing to safety in motor vehicle operations. Unfortunately, the lack of reliable crash data makes it extremely difficult to evaluate the crash causations associated with defective vehicles. Furthermore, clarifying the interrelationships among vehicle related factors causing accidents is very complicated when the conventional decision techniques are used. This study aims to employ a hybrid decision method based on DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) and ANP (Analytic Network Process) to construct an Influence Relations Map (IRM) as well as obtain the influential weight of vehicle-related criteria. An empirical case study is provided to demonstrate the implementation process. This paper also employs an Evidential Reasoning algorithm (so-called ER) for assessing the inter-city buses in terms of vehicle safety in order to deal with the uncertainties associated with incomplete input data. The ER improves decision making process by using a belief decision matrix and the Demspster-Shafer theory of evidence. The results and findings reveal that the braking system is the most important criterion impacting vehicle safety, followed by fuel supply and electrical systems.