Development of a Route Choice Model Considering Traffic Accident Risk with Snowfall

Abstract

In recent years, the provision of traffic accident risk information has been proposed as a measure to reduce the number of traffic accidents by guiding vehicles to safer routes. Previous studies have shown that the provision of accident encounter risk information has an influence on route choice, but the results of them have shown that the provision of accident occurrence risk information does not have an influence on route choice. In this study, a web-based questionnaire survey was conducted to drivers living or working in the Niigata metropolitan area to clarify their route choice behavior when both snow-covered road surface information and accident risk information were provided, assuming winter traffic situation with relatively high accident risk. The results showed that the snow-covered road surface conditions influenced route choice behavior only when accident encounter risk information was provided, but not when accident occurrence risk information was provided.