Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections

<p dir="ltr">A safe headway to the lead vehicle is important to reduce conflicts with merging vehicles from highway on-ramps. Previous research has outlined the advantage of gap metering strategies to yield sufficient space to merging vehicles and improve highway capacity during peak...

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Main Author: Nora Reinolsmann (16931784) (author)
Other Authors: Wael Alhajyaseen (12191677) (author), Tom Brijs (570863) (author), Ali Pirdavani (706668) (author), Qinaat Hussain (15294164) (author), Kris Brijs (8693589) (author)
Published: 2021
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_version_ 1864513561791823872
author Nora Reinolsmann (16931784)
author2 Wael Alhajyaseen (12191677)
Tom Brijs (570863)
Ali Pirdavani (706668)
Qinaat Hussain (15294164)
Kris Brijs (8693589)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Nora Reinolsmann (16931784)
Wael Alhajyaseen (12191677)
Tom Brijs (570863)
Ali Pirdavani (706668)
Qinaat Hussain (15294164)
Kris Brijs (8693589)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Nora Reinolsmann (16931784)
Wael Alhajyaseen (12191677)
Tom Brijs (570863)
Ali Pirdavani (706668)
Qinaat Hussain (15294164)
Kris Brijs (8693589)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-04-01T00:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Investigating_the_impact_of_a_novel_active_gap_metering_signalization_strategy_on_driver_behavior_at_highway_merging_sections/24083175
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Engineering
Automotive engineering
Psychology
Cognitive and computational psychology
Headway
On-ramps
Merging
lead vehicle
Safety distance
Driving simulator
Gap metering
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">A safe headway to the lead vehicle is important to reduce conflicts with merging vehicles from highway on-ramps. Previous research has outlined the advantage of gap metering strategies to yield sufficient space to merging vehicles and improve highway capacity during peak hours. However, prevailing gap metering systems fail to indicate the minimum required gap and leave it to the drivers’ judgment to adjust their headway. This paper proposes a new Active Gap Metering (AGM) signalization that helps outer lane drivers to adjust their headway to the lead vehicle when approaching highway ramps with incoming vehicles. This AGM signalization represents a combination of pavement markings and an innovative Variable Message Sign (VMS). The AGM system was tested alone and in combination with additional variable speed limits (VSL) in distinct environments of the Doha Expressway in the State of Qatar using a driving simulator. The driving behavior of 64 drivers was analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. The results showed that the AGM effectively influenced the drivers’ behavior on the right stream lane. Drivers did gradually increase the distance to the lead vehicle, which resulted in optimal headways to merging on-ramp vehicles. Most importantly, the minimum time-to-collision (TTC<sub>min</sub>) to the merging vehicle was increased by an additional 1–1.5 s as compared to no treatment. The proposed AGM signalization can, therefore, be considered by policymakers to influence drivers’ headways at critical merging sections.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_41f43f2129fdf81983f27913e45436ac
identifier_str_mv 10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/24083175
publishDate 2021
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository_id_str
rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sectionsNora Reinolsmann (16931784)Wael Alhajyaseen (12191677)Tom Brijs (570863)Ali Pirdavani (706668)Qinaat Hussain (15294164)Kris Brijs (8693589)EngineeringAutomotive engineeringPsychologyCognitive and computational psychologyHeadwayOn-rampsMerginglead vehicleSafety distanceDriving simulatorGap metering<p dir="ltr">A safe headway to the lead vehicle is important to reduce conflicts with merging vehicles from highway on-ramps. Previous research has outlined the advantage of gap metering strategies to yield sufficient space to merging vehicles and improve highway capacity during peak hours. However, prevailing gap metering systems fail to indicate the minimum required gap and leave it to the drivers’ judgment to adjust their headway. This paper proposes a new Active Gap Metering (AGM) signalization that helps outer lane drivers to adjust their headway to the lead vehicle when approaching highway ramps with incoming vehicles. This AGM signalization represents a combination of pavement markings and an innovative Variable Message Sign (VMS). The AGM system was tested alone and in combination with additional variable speed limits (VSL) in distinct environments of the Doha Expressway in the State of Qatar using a driving simulator. The driving behavior of 64 drivers was analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. The results showed that the AGM effectively influenced the drivers’ behavior on the right stream lane. Drivers did gradually increase the distance to the lead vehicle, which resulted in optimal headways to merging on-ramp vehicles. Most importantly, the minimum time-to-collision (TTC<sub>min</sub>) to the merging vehicle was increased by an additional 1–1.5 s as compared to no treatment. The proposed AGM signalization can, therefore, be considered by policymakers to influence drivers’ headways at critical merging sections.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017</a></p>2021-04-01T00:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1016/j.trf.2021.01.017https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Investigating_the_impact_of_a_novel_active_gap_metering_signalization_strategy_on_driver_behavior_at_highway_merging_sections/24083175CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/240831752021-04-01T00:00:00Z
spellingShingle Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
Nora Reinolsmann (16931784)
Engineering
Automotive engineering
Psychology
Cognitive and computational psychology
Headway
On-ramps
Merging
lead vehicle
Safety distance
Driving simulator
Gap metering
status_str publishedVersion
title Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
title_full Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
title_fullStr Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
title_short Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
title_sort Investigating the impact of a novel active gap metering signalization strategy on driver behavior at highway merging sections
topic Engineering
Automotive engineering
Psychology
Cognitive and computational psychology
Headway
On-ramps
Merging
lead vehicle
Safety distance
Driving simulator
Gap metering