This paper describes the evolution of equipment and techniques leading to the development of a "Quality Index of Traffic Flow". Four applications of the quality index were studied: The development of cost figures for different values of the index; an investigation of the relationship between density, volume and the quality indices; rest of the correlation between gasoline consumption and the quality of flow; and an attempt to discover if there is a correlation between the quality of flow and the frequency of highway accidents. At the conclusion of these studies it became possible to modify the original equipment, as a result the "Drivometer and Traffic Events Recorder"was developed. Using this equipment, a mathematical interpretation of driver's responses to traffic events was developed and three additional studies were delineated. These included: the functional classification of streets and highways, effect of highway design and control devices on traffic flow, and testing vehicle proving grounds. A recent study using the modified equipment was to determine the effective distance of urban highway travel for supermarket shopping trips.
Abstract