Modeling Risk Attitudes in Evacuation Departure Choices

The decision of whether and when to evacuate can be characterized as decision making under risk. Presently, most models assume linear utility functions through which it is impossible to disentangle factors that influence risk attitudes and other factors that affect decision making under risk. There is a need to disentangle and study factors that affect risk attitudes from factors that affect an evacuee’s preparation time. The aim in doing so is to provide planners and practitioners with an ability to measure a person’s risk attitude and develop appropriate strategies that could motivate people to evacuate. This study is expected to connect the theory of risk developed in economic theory with behavior under threat. The paper uses the Hurricane Andrew response data in conjunction with time-dependent data on the probability of a hurricane strike and the category of the hurricane data to develop a model for evacuation departure choice. A constant relative risk aversion specification is used to model risk attitudes. The process of an evacuation is abstracted as an individual being given a choice between two lotteries: either to stay or leave. The results show that the model is able to predict the total number of evacuees and the time varying evacuation rates with reasonable accuracy. Factors such as time of day, length of time spent in a region, and whether a mandatory evacuation order was issued affected risk attitudes. The presence of children affected the amount of time spent preparing if the family decided to stay.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2312-17
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Modeling+Risk+Attitudes+in+Evacuation+Departure+Choices&author=V.+Dixit&author=C.+Wilmot&author=B.+Wolshon&publication_year=2012
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/168497.aspx
• Authors:
  • Dixit, Vinayak V
  • Wilmot, Chester
  • Wolshon, Brian
• Publication Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 159–163
• Monograph Title: Roundabouts and Emergency Evacuation 2012
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2312
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Behavior; Choice models; Decision making; Evacuation; Hurricanes; Mathematical models; Risk taking; Strategic planning
• Identifier Terms: Hurricane Andrew, 1992
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01363053
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309263108
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-4263
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 21 2012 10:06AM