USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation
OFFICE OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE TURNER-FAIRBANK HIGHWAY RESEARCH CENTER

Difficulties with Quasi-Induced Exposure when Speed Varies Systematically by Vehicle Type

Publication Information

Publication External Link:
Publication Type:
Article
Abstract:

The attractiveness of quasi-induced exposure lies in the simplistic nature of its theory and application. As opposed to vehicle miles of travel, quasi-induced exposure is developed solely from the accident data themselves. Involvement ratios (IRs) are used to describe the relative over- or under-involvement of different drivervehicle combinations in traffic accidents. The issue of systematic bias in the involvement ratios is explored, and it is shown both theoretically and empirically that the variation in average speeds between vehicle types can affect relative accident involvement ratios. For vehicle types that routinely travel faster, the IRs will likely be underestimated; while for slower-moving vehicle types, the IRs will be overestimated. In the case of speed, the magnitude of the effect on the IRs is dependent both on the magnitude of the speed differential and the percentage of slower vehicles in the traffic stream.


Conclusions can be extended to whenever there are speed or other behavior disparities associated with the drivervehicle combinations in the traffic stream. Other examples include the speed discrepancy caused by different drivers (e.g., younger versus older drivers). Caution must be used in interpreting results from applications of the quasi-induced technique whenever such biases might be encountered.

Publishing Date:
July 2007
FHWA Program(s):
Research
Safety
AMRP Program(s):
FY 2002-2022
FHWA Activities:
Highway Safety Information System
Subject Area:
Safety and Human Factors