Influence of Behavioural Model Formulation on Surrogate Safety Measures in Traffic Microsimulation

Traffic microsimulation is a commonly used tool in traffic engineering. Given its flexibility and cost-efficiency, it is increasingly used for evaluating traffic safety. In real life traffic, unsafety is in many cases due to human error in driving behaviour. In traffic microsimulations however, driving behaviour is highly dependent on the...

Driving behaviour at motorway ramps and weaving segments based on empirical trajectory data

In the vicinity of ramps, drivers make route choices, change lanes and in most cases also adjust their speeds. This can trigger anticipatory behaviour by the surrounding vehicles, which are also reflected in lane changes and/or changes in speed. This phenomenon is called turbulence and is widely recognised by the scientific literature and...

Empirical speed behavior on horizontal ramp curves in interchanges in the Netherlands

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...

A critical assessment of methodologies for operations and safety evaluations of freeway turbulence

Turbulence in traffic is a commonly known phenomenon, but the exact characteristics of this phenomenon are not yet clear. It reflects individual changes in speed, headways, and lanes in the traffic stream. The currently used freeway design guidelines prescribe different measures for handling turbulence, such as sufficient ramp spacing, and...

Critical assessment of methodologies for operations and safety evaluations of freeway turbulence

Turbulence in traffic is a commonly known phenomenon, but the exact characteristics of this phenomenon are not yet clear. Turbulence reflects individual changes in speed, headways, and lanes in the traffic stream. The current freeway design guidelines prescribe measures for handling turbulence, such as sufficient ramp spacing and spacing...