RISKY DRIVING RELATED TO DRIVER AND VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS

This investigation was performed to determine relationships between driver and vehicle characteristics and risk taking in everyday driving, as measured by close following in freeway traffic. A total of 12,000 observations were made of headways (time intervals between successive vehicles) in high flow freely moving freeway traffic at two sites, one in Michigan, the other in Toronto, Canada. The headways were measured using a photographic technique which allowed vehicle and occupant characteristics to be recorded, including type of vehicle and sex and seat belt use. For the Michigan observations, the vehicle license number was recorded, from which additional information on the vehicle and owner (usually the driver) was obtained from state files, including the vehicle mass and model year and the owner's age, sex and history of recorded accidents and traffic violations. Shorter headways, corresponding to higher risk, were found for drivers with prior accidents or violations, young drivers, male drivers, drivers with no passengers, and drivers who did not wear a seat belt. Vehicles associated with shorter headways included newer cars and cars of intermediate mass (1600-1900kg).

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Evans, Leonard
  • Wasielewski, P
• Publication Date: 1983-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 121-136
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drivers; Freeways; Hazards; Headways; Human characteristics; Risk assessment; Traffic surveys; Vehicle characteristics
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00378144
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-034 710
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1983 12:00AM