Driver Behavior on Freeway Entrance Ramp Terminals
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 147, Issue 12
Abstract
This paper studied driver behavior on freeway entrance ramp terminals using trip data from the SHRP-2 Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) database from two different US states. The study included a qualitative assessment of driver speed behavior as drivers navigate the ramp and speed change lane (SCL). A trend of continuous vehicle acceleration was evident from the beginning of the ramp controlling curve that continued after merging onto the freeway right lane (FRL). It also was found that a portion of drivers tended to merge onto the FRL on the taper after the SCL had ended; this behavior was dominant on the taper-type SCL. It was shown that the speed and acceleration behavior of drivers differed on the different sites, indicating that it depends on the complete set of geometric characteristics at the site. Linear-mixed models were developed for the speed and acceleration measures and for lead, lag, total accepted merging gaps to account for the repeated measures caused by repeated trips by the same drivers.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are proprietary or confidential in nature, such as information that could compromise the privacy of research participants, and may be provided only with restrictions. All data used during the study are available online in accordance with funder data retention policies (https://insight.shrp2nds.us/login/auth). All models used during the study appear in the published paper.
Acknowledgments
The financial support from the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in Canada and Umm Al-Qura University is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Miguel Perez, Rufina Savio, and Whitney Atkins (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute) for their help in providing the naturalistic driving behavior data.
Disclaimer
The findings and conclusions of this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the VTTI, SHRP-2, the Transportation Research Board, or the National Academy of Science.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 147 • Issue 12 • December 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 12, 2021
Accepted: Aug 17, 2021
Published online: Sep 25, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 25, 2022
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Cited by
- Fayez Alamry, Yasser Hassan, Role of Freeway Ramp Geometry on Driver Acceleration and Merging Behavior, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 10.1061/JTEPBS.TEENG-8571, 150, 8, (2024).
- Yutong Liu, Binghong Pan, Ruihua Song, Lin Zong, Evaluation of Sustainable Design Method for Three-Lane Entrance Ramps on Expressways in Urban Areas: A Case Study of Xi’an, China, IEEE Access, 10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3325632, 11, (117714-117728), (2023).
- Fayez Alamry, Yasser Hassan, Driver Behavior Performance at Freeway Exit Ramp Terminals: Investigation and Modeling, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 10.1061/JTEPBS.TEENG-7628, 149, 5, (2023).
- Afshin Pakzadnia, Yasser Hassan, Expected Safety Performance of Different Freeway Merging Strategies in an Environment of Mixed Vehicle Technologies, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 10.1061/JTEPBS.TEENG-7280, 149, 2, (2023).
- Mohannad Alyamani, Yasser Hassan, Driver Behavior on Exit Freeway Ramp Terminals Based on the Naturalistic Driving Study, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 10.1061/JTEPBS.TEENG-7227, 149, 1, (2023).