scholarly journals Assessing the Influence of Adverse Weather on Traffic Flow Characteristics Using a Driving Simulator and VISSIM

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Chen ◽  
Xiaohua Zhao ◽  
Hao Liu ◽  
Guichao Ren ◽  
Yunlong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Traffic Simulation ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Microscopic Traffic Simulation ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Traffic Flow Characteristics

The occurrence of adverse weather exacerbates traffic flow conditions, often leading to severe traffic congestions. Many studies have been conducted based on field-collected data to obtain the effects of weather on traffic flow characteristics. However, there is a limitation for filed data-based studies, in that weather conditions and traffic conditions are both noncontrollable and nonrepeatable, making it difficult to comprehensively assess the influence of weather conditions, especially the rare extreme weather conditions, on traffic flow characteristics. This paper proposes to assess these effects with the combination of driving simulator and traffic simulation. A driving simulator can collect driving behavior by conducting weather-related driving simulation experiments, while a microscopic traffic simulation program can evaluate the changes in traffic flow characteristics by inputting driving behavior parameters coming from the driving simulator. The proposed method can overcome the limitation of the field data-based approach. In this paper, the structure of the assessment platform is introduced at first. Then a verification experiment is conducted to measure the influences of adverse weather conditions on traffic flow characteristics. The verification experiment results show that the influences of adverse weather on traffic flow characteristics have consistent tendencies with outcomes from previous research and demonstrate that the method is practicable for the analysis of the influence of weather on traffic flow characteristics. This paper provides a practical way to analyze the influence of weather on traffic flow from driving behavior’s point of view.

scholarly journals Car Following and Microscopic Traffic Simulation Under Distracted Driving

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110003
Author(s):  
Sunbola Zatmeh-Kanj ◽  
Tomer Toledo
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Traffic Simulation ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Microscopic Simulation ◽  
Microscopic Traffic Simulation ◽  
Car Following ◽  
The Impact

Microscopic simulation models have been widely used as tools to investigate the operation of traffic systems and different intelligent transportation systems applications. The fidelity of microscopic simulation tools depends on the driving behavior models that they implement. However, current models commonly do not consider human-related factors, such as distraction. The potential for distraction while driving has increased rapidly with the availability of smartphones and other connected and infotainment devices. Thus, an understanding of the impact of distraction on driving behavior is essential to improve the realism of microscopic traffic tools and support safety and other applications that are sensitive to it. This study focuses on car-following behavior in the context of distracting activities. The parameters of the well-known GM and intelligent driver models are estimated under various distraction scenarios using data collected with an experiment conducted in a driving simulator. The estimation results show that drivers are less sensitive to their leaders while talking on the phone and especially while texting. The estimated models are implemented in a microscopic traffic simulation model. The average speed, coefficient of variation of speed, acceleration noise and acceleration and deceleration time fractions were used as measures of performance indicating traffic flow and safety implications. The simulation results show deterioration of traffic flow with texting and to some extent talking on the phone: average speeds are lower and the coefficient of variation of speeds are higher. Further experimentation with varying fractions of texting drivers showed similar trends.

scholarly journals Data-driven profiling of traffic flow with varying road conditions

2019 ◽  
pp. 149-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
O K Golovnin
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Flow Speed ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
The Road ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
Traffic Flow Characteristics ◽  
The City

The article describes the road, institutional and weather conditions that affect the traffic flow. I proposed a method for traffic flow profiling using a data-driven approach. The method operates with macroscopic traffic flow characteristics and detailed data of road conditions. The article presents the results of traffic flow speed and intensity profiling taking into account weather conditions. The study used road traffic and conditions data for the city of Aarhus, Denmark. The results showed that the method is effective for traffic flow forecasting due to varying road conditions.

EFFECT OF RAINFALL ON TRAFFIC FLOW CHARACTERISTICS DURING NIGHT TIME

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (7-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul ‘Azizah Mukhlas ◽  
Nordiana Mashros ◽  
Othman Che Puan ◽  
Sitti Asmah Hassan ◽  
Norhidayah Abdul Hassan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Lighting Condition ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Traffic Flow Characteristics ◽  
Rural Highway ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Understanding traffic behavior for obtaining a smooth, safe and economical traffic operation requires a thorough knowledge of traffic flow parameters and their mutual relationships.Eventhough adverse weather can reduce traffic efficiencies, there are still questions to answer regarding the relationship between weather conditions and traffic flow at night. This paper presents an investigation of the rainfall effects to the traffic flow characteristics on atwo-lane rural highway during night time. The traffic data and corresponding rainfall data for uninterrupted road segment of Federal route 3 at Dungun, Terengganu were collected under road lighting condition during the north-east monsoon season. The effect of good weather condition, light rain, moderate rain and heavy rain conditions on speed, flow and density were quantified and compared. Results from the analysis indicate that mean speed, mean flow and mean density are reduced under various rainfall conditions. In general, the impact of good weather and various rainfall conditions on Greenshield’s fundamental traffic flow relationship have weak correlations except for the relationship between flow and density. The important points in the fundamental diagram derived from flow-density relationships indicated that critical density, maximum flow, critical speed, jam density and free flow speed of roadway all decrease as rainfall intensity increases. It can be concluded that traffic flow characteristics of two-lane rural highway in Terengganu are affected by rainfall conditions.

scholarly journals ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENT OF SPECIAL ROUNDABOUT

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20
Author(s):  
Vladislav Křivda ◽  
Ivana Mahdalová ◽  
Jan Petrů ◽  
Václav Škvain
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Traffic Simulation ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Traffic Flow Characteristics

The paper deals with alternative arrangement of special roundabout. It describes used method, i.e. measurement of traffic flow characteristics, capacity calculations and traffic simulation. There is shown results of analysis for concrete roundabout with one-line circulatory roadway compared double roundabout with two mini roundabouts.

scholarly journals Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on Traffic Flow Characteristics under Mixed Traffic Environment: Future Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 11052
Author(s):  
Mohammed Al-Turki ◽  
Nedal T. Ratrout ◽  
Syed Masiur Rahman ◽  
Imran Reza
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Penetration Rate ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Mixed Traffic ◽  
Traffic Characteristics ◽  
Traffic Environment ◽  
Traffic Flow Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Vehicle automation and communication technologies are considered promising approaches to improve operational driving behavior. The expected gradual implementation of autonomous vehicles (AVs) shortly will cause unique impacts on the traffic flow characteristics. This paper focuses on reviewing the expected impacts under a mixed traffic environment of AVs and regular vehicles (RVs) considering different AV characteristics. The paper includes a policy implication discussion for possible actual future practice and research interests. The AV implementation has positive impacts on the traffic flow, such as improved traffic capacity and stability. However, the impact depends on the factors including penetration rate of the AVs, characteristics, and operational settings of the AVs, traffic volume level, and human driving behavior. The critical penetration rate, which has a high potential to improve traffic characteristics, was higher than 40%. AV’s intelligent control of operational driving is a function of its operational settings, mainly car-following modeling. Different adjustments of these settings may improve some traffic flow parameters and may deteriorate others. The position and distribution of AVs and the type of their leading or following vehicles may play a role in maximizing their impacts.

Research on traffic flow characteristics at signal intersection

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (26) ◽  
pp. 1750238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Wei Zeng ◽  
Sen-Bin Yu ◽  
Yong-Sheng Qian ◽  
Xu-Ting Wei ◽  
Xiao Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Signalized Intersection ◽  
Flow Density ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Cellular Automata Model ◽  
Left Turn ◽  
Traffic Flow Characteristics ◽  
Research Objects

Based on the cautious driving behavior and the principle of the vehicles at left-side having priority to pass in the intersection, a two-dimensional cellular automata model for planar signalized intersection (NS-STCA) is established. The different turning vehicles are regarded as the research objects and the effect of the left-turn probability, signal cycle, vehicle flow density on traffic flow at the intersection is investigated.

scholarly journals Impacts of Snowy Weather Conditions on Expressway Traffic Flow Characteristics

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiancheng Weng ◽  
Lili Liu ◽  
Jian Rong
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Traffic Management ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Service Levels ◽  
The Road ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Snow Conditions ◽  
The Impact

Snowy weather will significantly degrade expressway operations, reduce service levels, and increase driving difficulty. Furthermore, the impact of snow varies in different types of roads, diverse cities, and snow densities due to different driving behavior. Traffic flow parameters are essential to decide what should be appropriate for weather-related traffic management and control strategies. This paper takes Beijing as a case study and analyzes traffic flow data collected by detectors in expressways. By comparing the performance of traffic flow under normal and snowy weather conditions, this paper quantitatively describes the impact of adverse weather on expressway volume and average speeds. Results indicate that average speeds on the Beijing expressway under heavy snow conditions decrease by 10–20 km/h when compared to those under normal weather conditions, the vehicle headway generally increases by 2–4 seconds, and the road capacity drops by about 33%. This paper also develops a specific expressway traffic parameter reduction model which proposes reduction coefficients of expressway volumes and speeds under various snow density conditions in Beijing. The conclusions paper provide effective foundational parameters for urban expressway controls and traffic management under snow conditions.

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