In view of the practical importance of the drift-flux model for two-phase flow analysis in general and in the analysis of nuclear-reactor transients and accidents in particular, the kinematic constitutive equation for the drift velocity has been studied for various two-phase flow regimes. The constitutive equation that specifies the relative motion between phases in the drift-flux model has been derived by taking into account the interfacial geometry, the body-force field, shear stresses, and the interfacial momentum transfer, since these macroscopic effects govern the relative velocity between phases. A comparison of the model with various experimental data over various flow regimes and a wide range of flow parameters shows a satisfactory agreement.