Otherwise the intensity parameter (accident rate) would not be constant over the entire time period. If the three assumptions hold, then the probability that there are accidents during a time interval of length will be given by (1), where is the average of expected number of accidents per unit time. Example 26.2 During the busy period from 4:00 to 6:00pm on weekdays, accidents occur along a stretch of highway at the average rate of 3 per hour. What is the probability that there will be more than 6 accidents in a 1-hour period? What is the probability that there will be at most 2 accidents during the 2-hour busy period on a particular day?