Analysis of Heavy Truck Accident Data—Exposure Based Approach

Abstract

Measures of exposure used in accident analysis are complex and have been a topic of continuing research. There is a lack of agreement among traffic researchers as to what constitutes exposure to accident. Exposure, in its simplest form can be measured by Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) generated over a given facility over a specified period. The question of exposure measurement becomes more complicated when a comparison of accident data by different vehicular categories is involved. An exposure based technique, that uses the concept of “opportunity for interaction between vehicles” in measuring exposure, is presented in this paper for analyzing heavy truck accident data. Also presented is a review of current procedures for incorporating exposure factors in accident analysis. The procedure presented appears to be a viable approach for analyzing heavy truck accident data and lends itself to use of commonly available accident and VMT data.