In order to explore the possibility to use the critical gap acceptance as an intermediate variable related to accident risk, an exploratory study has been designed including eight intersections on rural roads in the south of France. Traffic data are collected by video, and gaps on the principal roads are calculated by computer. Lag and gap distributions are estimated by a probit model. The median gap acceptance for three manoeuvres: crossing, right and left turn, is a significant discriminant factor between junctions, related to the visibility distance. Its variability according to different factors such as the age and sex of the drivers, the speed of the approaching vehicle, the time of the day makes difficult a statistical accident analysis.
Samenvatting