How is AADT calculated?

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) is a metric used to estimate the average daily traffic volume on a segment of road over the course of a year. To calculate AADT, the total volume of traffic over a year is divided by the number of days in the year, which is typically 365. This provides a straightforward average of daily traffic, allowing for a reliable measure that can be used for traffic management and planning purposes.

Choosing the correct approach allows for a clear understanding of traffic patterns and helps in making informed decisions regarding road maintenance, expansion, and traffic control measures. This method of calculation focuses strictly on the yearly traffic volume, giving a consistent and comparable figure across different times and locations.

Other choices do not align with the standard calculation of AADT. For instance, daily traffic multiplied by the number of days would give you the total annual traffic rather than the average per day. Similarly, total yearly accidents divided by annual volume does not relate to traffic volume calculations and misconstrues the purpose of AADT. Lastly, average daily traffic times the number of vehicles would lead to an incorrect interpretation, as it suggests a multiplication of averages rather than an averaging of totals.