Road traffic accidents represent a major global public health challenge, resulting in substantial human and economic losses each year. However, these incidents exhibit discernible patterns and are, to some extent, predictable. Examining them from a spatial perspective can therefore contribute to a better understanding of the underlying factors and support risk reduction strategies. Recent studies have shown that traffic accidents often display significant spatial autocorrelation, necessitating the use of appropriate statistical methods to quantify and analyze such dependencies. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate the spatial distribution of traffic accidents in the city of Zanjan using the Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation index within a GIS environment. To this end, a set of influential variables—including population density, density of major land uses, intersection density, road network density, commercial and service land uses, and trip attraction intensity—were examined to determine their relationship with accident occurrence patterns. The results indicate that all examined variables exhibit a significant and positive association with traffic accidents, with the strongest effects observed for population density, major land uses, intersection density, and trip attraction intensity. Furthermore, spatial analysis reveals that the distribution of accidents in Zanjan follows a clustered pattern, with distinct high-risk (hotspot) areas clearly identifiable. The findings of this study can serve as an effective tool for urban planners and decision-makers in developing targeted strategies to reduce traffic accidents.