scholarly journals Driving Safety Assurance Method in Work Zone Crossovers of Highway Reconstruction and Expansion Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Lu Lv ◽  
Yanting Sheng ◽  
Cancan Song ◽  
Yongqing Li ◽  
Zhongyin Guo
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
Simulation Experiment ◽  
Work Zone ◽  
Driving Simulation ◽  
Driving Safety ◽  
Transportation Safety ◽  
Control Zone ◽  
Median Opening ◽  
Median Width

Work zone crossover is an important area in highway reconstruction and expansion projects because it profoundly impacts the traffic safety and efficiency of the construction sites. This research sets the different median opening widths in the driving simulation experiment, collects the vehicle control signal parameters during entrance by-pass and exit by-pass, and analyzes the driving characteristics in these sections. Comparison of the driving features between the simulation experiment and the actual driving under the same median width has been also made. We should set the median width separately because the results show that driving behaviors significantly differ between entrance by-pass and exit by-pass. When the median opening width is 70 m, the driving simulation experiment and actual driving characteristics are quite different. However, both show that driving factors of the entrance and exit by-pass are not the same. When there are two lanes in the traffic control zone and the speed limit is 60 km/h, we should set the median width at 90 m to ensure transportation safety.

An Evaluation of Highway Work Zone Impact Factors on Driving Safety Using Complicated Indexes Based on Traffic Simulation System

2013 ◽  
Vol 723 ◽  
pp. 943-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Yan ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Meng Hua Ding ◽  
Yi Chang James Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Control ◽  
Traffic Simulation ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Work Zone ◽  
Driving Safety ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Transition Area ◽  
Control And Management

There are quite a number of complicated factors that can affect driving safety on freeway work zone during reconstruction, for example, traffic volume, driver compliance rate (which means drivers who follow the posted speed limit), slope gradient, HGV rate and so on. This article uses the popular traffic simulation software VISSIM to simulate different situations. The results show that the safety of Upstream Transition Area and the place where speed limit signs locate are the lowest. It is recommended that speed limit signs should not be located that much, and cars and HGVs need to be more careful when merging into the Upstream Transition Area, and lower their speeds if necessary. Most important, compliance rate plays an important role in safety measures, and this provides a solid foundation for traffic control and management.

Simulation and Analysis of the Variable Speed Limit Controls on Highway Maintenance

2011 ◽  
Vol 97-98 ◽  
pp. 435-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bai Ying Shi ◽  
Xue Yu Gao ◽  
Zhi Ge ◽  
Xue Ping Ma
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Work Zones ◽  
Microscopic Simulation ◽  
Variable Speed Limit ◽  
Control Zone ◽  
Organization And Management

Despite of the fact that the traffic control zone for maintenance work (work zone) has been recognized as one of major priorities to guarantee the traffic safety, only one conventional posted speed limit (PSL) strategy is applied into the organization and management. This article presents the strategy of the variable speed limit (VSL) on highway work zones that brings about gradual deceleration and low speed variance. To evaluate the safety of the proposed VSL strategy, this study uses the microscopic simulation software VISSM to estimate the traffic flow and adopt transversal and longitudinal coefficients of safety (MSDE and cv) to compare the different speed limit strategies. The results of simulation and analysis confirm that VSL yield a substantial decrease the traffic turbulence caused by speed limit and increase the traffic safety throughout work zones.

Work Zone Safety Performance: Comparison of Alternative Traffic Control Strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 2617 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emira Rista ◽  
Timothy Barrette ◽  
Raha Hamzeie ◽  
Peter Savolainen ◽  
Timothy J. Gates
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Work Zone ◽  
Segment Length ◽  
Crash Rates ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Lane Closures

Work zone temporary traffic control strategies generally affect both traffic safety and operations. However, there is a substantial gap in the knowledge base with respect to the safety impacts of various work zone characteristics. The Highway Safety Manual provides crash modification functions that account for the effects of project length and duration on crash frequency as compared with normal road operations. However, these methods do not allow for explicit comparisons of expected safety performance among different work or closure types. This research examined the safety impacts of various temporary traffic control strategies on freeways, including shoulder closures, lane closures, and lane shifts. Data were collected for the periods during which these treatments were in effect and during similar nonconstruction periods from the preceding year. Safety performance functions were estimated that account for segment length, duration, traffic volume, and closure type. Random parameter count data models were estimated to accommodate segment-specific temporal correlation and unobserved heterogeneity. Crash rates were shown to vary roughly in proportion to traffic volumes. In contrast, segment length and project duration showed inelastic effects; this finding implies that crash rates increase more rapidly in work zones that are shorter in length or duration. Single-lane closures, multilane closures, and lane shifts were associated with an increase in crashes, whereas shoulder closures did not show a significant difference compared with similar, non-work-zone conditions. Ultimately, the study results provide important information that can be used to assess the crash risk for various temporary traffic control strategies.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Variable Message Signs on Driving Behavior Based on a Driving Simulation Experiment

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuedong Yan ◽  
Jiawei Wu
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Simulation Experiment ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Driving Simulation ◽  
Traffic Information ◽  
Variable Message Signs ◽  
Information Format ◽  
Message Signs

Variable message signs (VMSs), as one of the important ITS devices, provide real-time traffic information of road network to drivers in order to improve route choice and relieve the traffic congestion. In this study, the effectiveness of VMS on driving behavior was tested based on a driving simulation experiment. A road network with three levels of VMS location to route-diverging intersection and three types of VMS information format was designed in a high fidelity driving simulator platform. Fifty-two subjects who were classified by driver age, gender, and vocation successfully completed this experiment. The experimental results showed that driver characteristics, VMS location, and information format profoundly influence driving behaviors. Based on the research findings, it is suggested that VMS would be positioned between 150 m and 200 m upstream of the diverging point to balance the VMS effects on traffic safety and operation and the graphic information VMS format is better than the format with text massage only.

Traffic Control Devices for Deterring Wrong-Way Movements at Unsignalized Intersections on Divided Highways

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (5) ◽  
pp. 670-681
Author(s):  
Melisa D. Finley ◽  
Raul E. Avelar ◽  
H. Gene Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Unsignalized Intersections ◽  
Control Devices ◽  
Traffic Control Devices ◽  
Serious Injury ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Median Opening ◽  
Median Width

Motorists driving the wrong way on divided roadways has been an area of concern for over 50 years. However, little is known about the nature of wrong-way crashes on divided highways. Thus, the research team conducted exploratory and statistical analyses to assess the effects of median width and select traffic control devices upon wrong-way crashes on high-speed divided highways. The exploratory analysis revealed that most of the wrong-way crashes on high-speed divided highways resulted in serious injury and happened at night. More than two-thirds of the wrong-way crashes resulted from a wrong-way maneuver at an intersecting roadway where a median opening was present. The statistical analysis found numerous sites where the traffic control in the median opening did not fully comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) with respect to treating the location as one or two intersections. There was also evidence from the statistical analysis that the 30-ft median width threshold may not be appropriate for distinguishing between one or two intersections. In addition, researchers were able to identify several traffic control devices that may be effective in reducing wrong-way movements on high-speed divided highways. The final effort of the project was to develop recommended MUTCD language for implementing the research findings. The recommended language includes a new method for distinguishing between divided highway crossings that function as a single intersection or two separate intersections, thereby eliminating the 30-ft median width threshold used in the current MUTCD.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Active Luminous Lane Markings on Highway at Night: A Driving Simulation Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Bencheng Zhu ◽  
Cancan Song ◽  
Zhongyin Guo ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Zichu Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Visual Recognition ◽  
Simulation Experiment ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Driving Simulation ◽  
Steering Wheel ◽  
Operating Speed ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Point Line

Road lane markings play an essential role in maintaining traffic order and improving traffic safety and efficiency. Active luminous lane markings have emerged with advances in technology recently. However, it is still not completely clear what impact their application will have on drivers. This paper aimed to study the effectiveness of active luminous lane markings on highways at night. A driving simulation experiment was carried out based on advanced driving simulators at Tongji University. The driving simulation experiment involved 31 participants and 9 simulation scenes with 6 different types of lane markings models and the same 2-way highway segment, which was 5300-m long with four 3.75-m wide driving lanes. The study participants drove through the simulated highway while the vehicle operation data and the driver’s eyes changing data were continuously captured. Overall, the pupil area change rate, steering wheel speed, brake pedal force, gas pedal, lane departure, and operating speed indicators were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the active luminous lane markings. The results are shown as follows: (1) the active luminous lane markings have excellent visual recognition performance at night. Compared with the passive luminous lane markings, the active luminous markings can reduce the mental and physical loads of drivers, increase the early braking distance significantly, improve the lane-keeping ability and smooth the operating speed; (2) for the specific parameter settings of the active luminous lane markings at night, the yellow lane markings are better than the white ones, the point-line-type lane markings are superior to the conventional-type ones, and the blinking frequency is reasonable to set, at a moderate level, as 40 times per min. The results suggest that there are positive effects of active luminous lane markings on the promotion of highway traffic safety and efficiency at night, providing theoretical support for the popularization and application of active luminous road lane markings.

Improvement of METANET Model Based on Critical Density Modeling for Traffic Control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Fu ◽  
Jie Fang ◽  
Yunjie Lyu ◽  
Huahui Xie
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Critical Density ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Density Model ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Freeway Control ◽  
Density Modeling

Freeway control has been increasingly used as an innovative approach to ease traffic congestion, improve traffic safety and reduce exhaust emissions. As an important predictive model involved in freeway control, the predictive performance of METANET greatly influences the effect of freeway control. This paper focuses on modifying the METANET model by modeling the critical density. Firstly, the critical density model is deduced based on the catastrophe theory. Then, the perturbation wave and traveling wave that are obtained using the macro and micro data, respectively, have been developed to modify the above proposed critical density model. Finally, the numerical simulation is established to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified METANET model based on the field data from the realistic motorway network. The results show that overall, the predicted data from the modified METANET model are closer to the field data than those obtained from the original model.

Road Engineering Optimization Based on Driving Reaction

2013 ◽  
Vol 579-580 ◽  
pp. 841-844
Author(s):  
Zhao Cao ◽  
Xiao Wu ◽  
Qing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Heart Beat ◽  
Driving Safety ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Vehicle Speed ◽  
Force Coefficient ◽  
Slope Length ◽  
Road Engineering ◽  
Positive Correlation

With the increasingly outstanding of the traffic safety issue, the human factors in People-Vehicle-Road System are being emphasized gradually. Takes Jinhua suburb asphalt mountain road (two-lane, multiple steep slopes) for example, this study focuses on road engineering response analysis on driving reaction, design optimization of road engineering base on driving response. A driver over 3 driving years steered 5-seat car in 4 kilometers long experimental road, kept the vehicle speed (V) under 40km/h. Heartbeat rate of the driver was monitored by dynamic Holter through driving process. The analysis shows that there is a linear positive correlation between Heart beat growth rate (Ni) and V, a nearly positive correlation between lateral force coefficient (μ) and Ni, and nearly inversely proportional between plane curve radius (R) and slope (i). It should decrease R appropriately when road slope (i) much sharply in road alignment design. There is a polynomial relation between Ni, V and R. As R increases, both Ni and V reduce firstly, and then rise. When R ranges from 240 to 500 meter, stress gradually ease; while R exceeds 500 meter, driving reaction tension gradually rise. R<550 m, i <6% and slope length under 300 m in the experimental road. When instructional speed <40km/h, then Ni was 30.2% and μ was 0.25. Its benefit for driving safety to keep drivers in appropriate tension in such situation.

scholarly journals Improved Road Safety at Work Zones using Advanced Traveler Information Systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Suhail Almallah ◽  
Qinaat Hussain ◽  
Wael K. M Alhajyaseen ◽  
Tom Brijs
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Work Zone ◽  
Speed Limit ◽  
Work Zones ◽  
Treatment Scenario ◽  
Lane Changing ◽  
Variable Message Signs ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Message Signs

Work zones are road sections where road construction or maintenance activities take place. These work zones usually have different alignment and furniture than the original road and thus temporary lower speeds are adopted at these locations. However, drivers usually face difficulty in adopting the new speed limit and maneuvering safely due to the change in alignment. Therefore, work zones are commonly considered as hazardous locations with higher crash rates and severities as reported in the literature. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a variable message signs (VMSs) based system for work zone advance warning area. The proposed system aims at enhancing driver adaptation of the reduced speed limit, encourage early lane changing maneuvers and improve the cooperative driving behavior in the pre-work zone road section. The study was conducted using a driving simulator at the College of Engineering of Qatar University. Seventy volunteers holding a valid Qatari passenger car driving license participated in this study. In the simulator experiment, we have two scenarios (control and treatment). The control scenario was designed based on the Qatar Work Zone Traffic Management Guide (QWZTMG), where the length of the advance warning area is 1000 m. Meanwhile, the treatment scenario contains six newly designed variable message signs where two of them were animation-based. The VMSs were placed at the same locations of the static signs in the control scenario. Both scenarios were tested for two situations. In the first situation, the participants were asked to drive on the left lane while in the second situation, they were instructed to drive on the second lane. The study results showed that the proposed system was effective in motivating drivers to reduce their traveling speed in advance. Compared to the control scenario, drivers’ mean speed was significantly 6.3 and 11.1 kph lower in the VMS scenario in the first and second situations, respectively. Furthermore, the VMS scenario encouraged early lane changing maneuvers. In the VMS scenario, drivers changed their lanes in advance by 150 m compared to the control scenario. In addition, the proposed system was effective in motivating drivers to keep larger headways with the frontal merging vehicle. Taking into account the results from this study, we recommend the proposed VMS based system as a potentially effective treatment to improve traffic safety at work zones.

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