This paper investigates the impact of the perceived risk on a driver's route choice decision-making process. A perceived risk model was developed and estimated. The output of this model is referred to as the level of expected perceived risk. A route choice, multinomial logit model with perceived risk variable was specified and estimated. A number of route choice models were estimated for different groups of the driver population. The groups were identified on the basis of age, gender, number of children, marital status, household monthly income, and level of traffic information. Empirical results indicated that a driver's level of perceived risk is affected by demographic and socioeconomic variables, route geometry and traffic control devices, network level of service, traffic composition, and the number of accidents involved in or witnessed. Route geometry and traffic control devices were found to have greater impact on a driver's level of perceived risk. The level of expected perceived risk seemed to negatively impact a driver's route choice selection process. Estimation results indicated that as the level of expected perceived risk increases, a driver is unlikely to select the route. The results also indicated the need to estimate a separate route choice, with a perceived risk variable, multinomial logit model for each identified group of the driver population. The results also showed that a driver's route switching behaviour increases with increasing route travel time and the existence of alternative routes. (a).
Abstract