Citation

Minh Ngoc A, Nishiuchi H, Cong Minh C. Travel Behav. Soc. 2023; 30: 240-248.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.tbs.2022.10.004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present study identifies the determinants of traffic crashes as well as the role of crash experiences in mode choice when commuting to school in Can Tho, a medium-sized city in Vietnam, based on self-reported travel behavior data. In Vietnamese medium-sized cities, the fatality rate has been reported to be 8% higher than the national rate and 19% higher than in larger cities. In addition, private vehicles account for over 90% of travel demand in these cities due to uncontrolled urbanization and the people inhabiting these cities are dependent on motorcycle as a mode of travel. Motorcycle and bicycle riders are the most vulnerable road users, hence those commuting to school by these vehicles are often at risk for crashes. In the present study, a total of 4,358 samples, categorized by 'self-driving' and 'pick-up' subgroups, were collected and used in the analysis. Of the 2,227 participants in the self-driving group, 313 persons (14.05%) experienced by at least one crash in the preceding year. In the pick-up group, with 2,131 participants, 193 persons (9.06%) experienced at least one crash in the preceding year. Crash model estimation results indicate that the household location, gender with specific age group, motorcycle license, travel characteristics and population density have significant impacts on different levels of the crash outcome in each group. In the mode share model, variables representing crash prevalence, household size, the mobility sources available in the household (for example, the number of bicycles, motorcycles, or cars), household location, gender with specific age group, occupation levels, trip rate, levels of school travel distance, build environment, and some variables of perception, also show significant impacts on different levels of mode choice outcomes in each group. The present study provides an insightful understanding of the behaviors and perception of individuals taking school trips in a medium-sized motorcycle-dependent city. Our results indicate that the culture of using motorcycles is firmly entrenched among citizens and policymakers should attempt to redesign road infrastructure to ensure the safety of motorcycle users in parallel with improving walking and cycling infrastructure.

Language: en

Keywords

Crash experiences; Influencing factors; Mode choice; Residential location; Safe infrastructure; School trips