Traffic Engineering

Third Year

College of Engineering

Kufa University
Civil department

Mooring & evening study

Chapter Eleven
Headway Distribution
11-1 Introduction
The concept of level of service in highway traffic flow shows the
differences in the flow characteristics which may be examined by a study of
the headways between vehicles.
Time headways: are the time intervals between the passage of successive
vehicles past a point on the highway.
Time headway , h= 3600/q(vph)
(11.1)

Where :
h= mean time headway (sec./veh)
q= rate of flow (mean rate of arrival).
Time headway may vary greatly depending on highway condition
(capacity, .) and traffic conditions (volumes, ..).

On light traffic rural highways, when vehicles can overtake at will, a

range of headways will be observed from zero values (between
overtaking vehicles) to the longer headways (between widely spaced
vehicles).
On heavy traffic flow highways, there are fewer possibilities for
overtaking and widely spaced vehicles. Under very heavily trafficked
condition (restrained flow), all vehicles are travelling at uniform
headways.

11-2 Methods of Headways Measurements

Traffic Engineering
Third Year

College of Engineering

Kufa University
Civil department

Mooring & evening study

1. Headways can be measured by a device that register the successive

arrivals of vehicles at a fixed point. By this method the time headway
distribution can be obtained .
2. Headways can be recorded by aerial photography which records at one
instant of the distance of headways between successive vehicles. By this
method the space headway distribution can be obtained.

11-3 Types of Arrival Distribution

When the arrival of vehicles at a particular point on the highway is
described, the distributions have been used are:
1. Counting distribution:
This distribution describe the number of vehicles arriving in a time
interval. When random arrivals (low to medium flow condition) is
occurs, the Poisson statistical distribution can be used to represent this
observed random arrivals theoretically.
When traffic flow is assumed to be random then the probability of
exactly n vehicles arriving at a given point on the highway in any t
seconds interval is obtained from the Poisson distribution. Which states

(11.2)
For n= 0,1,2, .. ,
Where q is the mean rate of arrival per unit time. Often Poisson
dist. Is referred to as the counting distribution, because it refers to the
number of vehicles arriving in a given time interval.
2. Gap Distribution :
This distribution describe the time interval between the arrival of
successive vehicles. Negative exponential distribution is suggested to
be aged theoretical fit to the cumulative observed gaps (headways)
distribution. It is usually used in the unsignalized intersection capacity
analysis, since gaps in the major road flow are used by minor road
vehicles to inter the major roads.
This distribution can be obtained from Poisson distribution if there
are no vehicles arrivals in an interval t (n=0). In this case, there must
be a headway greater than or equal to t.
2

Traffic Engineering
Third Year

College of Engineering

Kufa University
Civil department

Mooring & evening study

qt

Prob .(h t)=e

(11.3)

The time headway is noted using stopwatch by observer and

resulting headways are placed in classes with a class interval of , for
example , 2 seconds (less interval need more accurate devices)
It is possible to illustrate the use of Poisson and negative
exponential distribution by taking the field observations of headways
on a highway where traffic is flowing free like 2-way 2-lane highway
when volume not exceed 400 vph/dir. and there are no control devices
within a distance about 1 km upstream of the point of observation.

11-4 The Goodness of Fit

There are two methods to check whether the theoretical frequencies are
adequately fit the observed.
1)) Histogram (Graphical)
By drawing the theoretical and observed frequencies.
2)) CHI-Squared Test (Statistical)
2 =[(Obs-Theo)2/Theo] 2 (table) at significance level=5%
Example (12.1): The number of vehicles arriving in 2-minute intervals at a
checkpoint on a highway is given below. Show that the traffic flow on
2
this highway is random? Given at 5% significance is 9.49.

(1)
No. of veh.per
2 min. interval

(2)
No. of times
observed (fo)

(3)
Col.1Col.2

(4)
Theo.Prob.
(*)

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

4
1
4
9
10
11
12
11
1

32
7
24
45
40
33
24
11
0

0.015
0.036
0.073
0.128
0.187
0.218
0.191
0.110
0.032

63

216

(5)
(2) (4)
Theo.freq.
(ft)
0.95
2.27}7.82
4.60
8.06
11.78
13.78
12.03
6.93
2.02}8.95

(6)
=(fo-ft)2
ft
2

0.18
0.11
0.27
0.54
0.00
1.04
2.14

*qt=[ (Col.1 Col.2)/ Col.2] =216/63=3.43

3

Traffic Engineering
Third Year

College of Engineering

Kufa University
Civil department

Mooring & evening study

Theo.Prob P(n)
Since tabular 2 (2.14) < critical 2 (9.49) therefore, no. significance
difference and flow is random
Example (11.2): The headway distribution on a two-way urban highway is given in
table below. Assume the traffic is free flowing and graphically fit a
theoretical distribution to the observed values. Calculate (1) % observed
and theoretical cumulative frequency. (2) The theoretical frequencies. If
mean flow rate q is 790 vph?
Col.1
Headway
class (sec.)
0-1
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
7-8
8-9
9-10
10-11
11-12
12-13
13-14
14-15
15-16
16-17
17-18
18-19
19-20

Col.2
Obs.
Freq.
19
67
58
29
26
14
17
7
9
6
5
8
4
4
4
3
3
0
2
1

Col.3
Obs.Cum
.freq.
286
267
200
142
113
87
73
56
49
40
34
29
21
17
13
9
6
3
3
1

Col.4
Col.5
Col.6
%Obs.Cum. % Theo.
Theo.
freq.
Cum.freq. Cum.fre
q
100
100
286
93.4
80.3
230
69.9
64.4
184
49.7
51.7
148
39.5
41.5
119
30.4
33.4
95
25.5
26.8
76
19.6
21.5
61
17.1
17.3
50
14.0
13.9
40
11.9
11.2
32
10.1
9.0
26
7.3
7.2
21
5.9
5.8
17
4.5
4.6
14
3.1
3.7
11
2.1
3.0
9
1.0
2.4
7
1.0
1.9
6
0.3
1.5
5

286

Col.7
Theor.
Freq.
56
46
36
29
23
19
15
12
10
8
6
5
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
5
286

Traffic Engineering
Third Year

College of Engineering

Kufa University
Civil department

Mooring & evening study

Col.5 calculations

( 7900
3600 )

% theo. Cum. freq. (row1)= e

100 =100%

Example (11.3): For the same previous example 2 , show the goodness of fit of
theoretical (expected) distribution to the observed distribution using CHISquare test . Assume the theoretical 2 for 5 % significance level is
16.919?
Col.1
Col.2
Headway class (sec.) Obs. Freq.
0-1
19
1-2
67
2-3
58
3-4
29
4-5
26
5-6
14
6-7
17
7-8
16
8-9
9-10
11
10-11
11-12
12
12-13
13-14
17
14-15
15-16
16-17
17-18
18-19
19-20

286

Col.7
Theor.Freq. 2=[(Obs.freq- Theo.freq)2/theo.freq]
56
24.4
46
9.6
36
13.4
29
0
23
0.40
19
1.31
15
0.27
22
1.63
14

0.64

1.0

17

52.65

Since the tabular 2-value (52.65) > critical 2-value (16.919) , there is
a significant difference between the observed and expected headway
frequencies.