Operating speed models for two-lane rural roads in Pakistan

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rizwan A. Memon ◽  
G. B. Khaskheli ◽  
A. Sami Qureshi

One of the suitable techniques used to improve safety on roads is to check the consistency of geometric design. The concept of design consistency has emerged worldwide, but no research has been found to date on design consistency in Pakistan. The most common parameter for the evaluation of design consistency is operating speed. Several models have been developed to predict operating speed on two-lane rural roads. However, these models were based on spot speed data collected through traditional speed measuring devices. This study uses continuous speed profile data collected using a vehicle equipped with a VBox (a global positioning system based device). Eleven test sections were selected in two provinces of Pakistan (i.e., Sindh and Balochistan). Driver behavior is also studied in the present research. Models were developed for prediction of operating speed on horizontal curves and on tangents. Validation of the developed models shows compatibility with the experimental data; hence, the developed speed prediction models can be used to evaluate the geometric design consistency of two-lane rural roads in Pakistan.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 595-603
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Lemonakis ◽  
George Botzoris ◽  
Athanasios Galanis ◽  
Nikolaos Eliou

The development of operating speed models has been the subject of numerous research studies in the past. Most of them present models that aim to predict free-flow speed in conjunction with the road geometry at the curved road sections considering various geometric parameters e.g., radius, length, preceding tangent, deflection angle. The developed models seldomly take into account the operating speed profiles of motorcycle riders and hence no significant efforts have been put so far to associate the geometric characteristics of a road segment with the speed behavior of motorcycle riders. The dominance of 4-wheel vehicles on the road network led the researchers to focus explicitly on the development of speed prediction models for passenger cars, vans, pickups, and trucks. However, although the motorcycle fleet represents only a small proportion of the total traffic volume motorcycle riders are over-represented in traffic accidents especially those that occur on horizontal curves. Since operating speed has been thoroughly documented as the most significant precipitating factor of vehicular accidents, the study of motorcycle rider's speed behavior approaching horizontal curves is of paramount importance. The subject of the present paper is the development of speed prediction models for motorcycle riders traveling on two-lane rural roads. The model was the result of the execution of field measurements under naturalistic conditions with the use of an instrumented motorcycle conducted by experienced motorcycle riders under different lighting conditions. The implemented methodology to determine the most efficient model evaluates a series of road geometry parameters through a comprehensive literature review excluding those with an insignificant impact to the magnitude of the operating speeds in order to establish simple and handy models.


Transport ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gourab Sil ◽  
Avijit Maji ◽  
Suresh Nama ◽  
Akhilesh Kumar Maurya

Researchers have studied two-lane rural highways to predict the operating speed on horizontal curves and correlated it with safety. However, the driving characteristics of four-lane-divided highways are different. Weak lane discipline is observed in these facilities, which influences vehicle speed in adjacent lane or space. So, irrespective of its lane or lateral position, vehicles in four-lane divided highways are considered free flowing only when it maintains the minimum threshold headway from any lead vehicle. Examination of two conditions is proposed to ensure the free flow. Vehicles meeting both conditions, when tracked from the preceding tangent section till the centre of the horizontal curve, are considered as free flowing. The speed data of such free flowing passenger cars at the centre of eighteen horizontal curves on four-lane divided highways is analysed to develop a linear operating speed prediction model. The developed model depends on curve radius and preceding tangent length. The operating speed of passenger car in four-lane divided highways is influenced by horizontal curve of radius 360 m or less. Further, longer tangent would yield higher operating speed at the centre of the curve. Finally, two nomograms are suggested for conventional design, consistency based design and geometric design consistency evaluation of four-lane divided horizontal curves.


Author(s):  
Avi Thiessen ◽  
Karim El-Basyouny ◽  
Suliman Gargoum

Information about operating speeds is essential to design better roads, model traffic emissions, and ensure design consistency while efficient and safe operations on roads are maintained. Therefore, understanding how different factors affect operating speeds and developing operating speed prediction models are critical research issues. Many studies have developed such models on rural roads and highways, but only a few studies have considered development of such models on urban roads and fewer still on tangential segments. This present study attempted to address these limitations by developing operating speed models with data from 249 tangential road segments in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A generalized linear model was developed with panel data, and the primary aim was to explore the relationships between operating speeds on urban roads and features of the road environment. To study the impact of road elements on different road types, three models were created: one that combined arterial and collector locations, one for arterials only, and one for collector roads only. The results revealed that roads with sidewalks that were farther away from the road and with low object density or tree density were all associated with higher operating speeds. Locations with monolithic walks on both sides of the road had lower operating speeds. Furthermore, operating speeds decreased as access increased, while longer roads had higher operating speeds. One major takeaway was that the elements differed between road classes. The two variables, which stood out in that respect, were medians and bus stops.


Author(s):  
David Llopis-Castelló ◽  
Brayan González-Hernández ◽  
Ana María Pérez-Zuriaga ◽  
Alfredo García

Road safety is closely related to geometric design consistency, which is usually assessed by examining operating speed. Most consistency models only consider passenger car speeds, even though the interaction between passenger cars and heavy vehicles plays a pivotal role in road safety. This is due to the fact that there are too few models to estimate heavy vehicle speeds. This study aims to develop speed prediction models for heavy vehicles on horizontal curves of two-lane rural roads. To do this, continuous speed profiles were collected by using Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices on 11 road sections. Truck speeds were analyzed on 105 horizontal curves. The results showed that the radius of the horizontal curve and the grade at the point of curvature have a significant influence on heavy vehicle speeds. In this regard, vertical alignment only has a significant effect on truck speeds along upgrades. In addition, different trends were identified for loaded and unloaded trucks, so different speed models were calibrated for each of them. As a result, heavy vehicle speeds were adversely affected by grades greater than 3%. This phenomenon was larger for loaded trucks than for unloaded ones. Finally, the calibrated 85th and 15th percentile speed models were compared with those developed previously. As a conclusion, the use of the proposed models in this study was recommended on Spanish two-lane rural roads due mainly to the different characteristics of heavy vehicles around the world.


Author(s):  
Ana Maria Pérez Zuriaga ◽  
Alfredo García García ◽  
Francisco Javier Camacho Torregrosa ◽  
Pierangelo D'Attoma

Author(s):  
Haneen Farah ◽  
Aries van Beinum ◽  
Winnie Daamen

Several studies in the literature have indicated that interchanges are the most crash-prone areas within the motorway system in number and severity of accidents. The reason is the high level of turbulence as a result of vehicle lane changes and speed variability. To understand the safety consequences of an interchange design (e.g., type of connecting ramps, radii and superelevation of curves, and lane and shoulder widths), an in-depth investigation of driving speed behavior is needed. Such an investigation requires the collection of detailed trajectory data on vehicles on different interchanges. These types of data are rarely available, and as a result, such studies are scarce in the literature. The main objective of this present study was to analyze driver speed behavior on different ramps at interchanges, and to develop an operating speed prediction model as a function of the road design elements. Trajectory data on free-moving vehicles were derived from stabilized video images taken from a camera mounted underneath a helicopter, which hovered over the road areas studied. Data were collected from 29 curves at six freeway–freeway interchanges in the Netherlands. The sample included nine direct connections, 12 semidirect connections, and eight indirect connections. The findings showed that speeds were affected by several road geometric characteristics of the curves, by driver expectancy and design consistency, and by the percentage of trucks in traffic. The operating speed prediction models developed in the study will provide designers with tools to estimate the operating speed during the design process.


2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel Richl ◽  
Tarek Sayed

The most frequently used criteria to evaluate design consistency are the difference between design speed and operating speed, operating speeds on successive elements, and assumed side friction of the road and that demanded by the driver. The operating speed, often obtained using speed prediction models, influences each design consistency criteria. There has been considerable research in developing design consistency measures and evaluation tools, but little research has been done on the influence that different speed prediction models have on design consistency criteria. In addition, there has been little research as to how design factors such as driver perception of combined horizontal and vertical curves influence speed prediction models. This paper investigates how the selection of speed prediction models and driver perception of combined horizontal and vertical curves influence design consistency evaluation. The selection of the speed prediction model has a significant impact on design consistency evaluation. The use of perceived radius, which accounts for driver perception of combined alignments, slightly influenced the outcome of the design consistency evaluation.Key words: design consistency, speed prediction models, driver perception, combined horizontal and vertical curves, perceived radius, geometric design.


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