Effect of Surrounding Traffic Characteristics on Lane Changing Behavior

Moridpour, Sara; Rose, Geoff; Sarvi, Majid

doi:doi:10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000165

You are not logged in to this journal. Log In

Journal of Transportation Engineering/ Volume 136/ Issue 11/ TECHNICAL PAPERS

Previous Article | Next Article

LOG IN or SELECT A PURCHASE OPTION:

Buy PDF (US$30)
Permissions

Effect of Surrounding Traffic Characteristics on Lane Changing Behavior

J. Transp. Eng. 136, 973 (2010); doi:10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000165 (13 pages)

Sara Moridpour¹, Geoff Rose², and Majid Sarvi³

¹Lecturer, School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; formerly, Institute of Transport Studies (ITS), Dept. of Civil Engineering, Monash Univ., Victoria, Australia (corresponding author). E-mail: sara.moridpour@rmit.edu.au
²Associate Professor, Institute of Transport Studies (ITS), Dept. of Civil Engineering, Monash Univ., Victoria, Australia. E-mail: Geoff.Rose@eng.monash.edu.au
³Senior Lecturer, Institute of Transport Studies (ITS), Dept. of Civil Engineering, Monash Univ., Victoria, Australia. E-mail: Majid.Sarvi@eng.monash.edu.au

View Map

(Submitted 22 September 2009; accepted 20 April 2010; posted ahead of print 26 April 2010)

Alerts
- Alert Me When Cited
- Alert Me When Corrected
Tools
Share
- Email Abstract
- Connotea
- CiteULike
- del.icio.us
- BibSonomy
- Tweet this Article
- Add to Facebook

Abstract

References (24)

Article Objects (18)

Lane changing maneuvers could have a substantial influence on traffic flow characteristics as a result of their interfering effect on surrounding vehicles. The interference effect of lane changing is more pronounced when heavy vehicles change lanes compared to when passenger cars undertake the same maneuver. This is due to the physical effects that the heavy vehicles impose on surrounding traffic. This paper investigates and compares the traffic flow characteristics which influence the lane changing behavior of heavy vehicle and passenger car drivers on freeways under heavy traffic conditions. A trajectory data set comprising 28 heavy vehicle and 28 passenger car lane changing maneuvers is analyzed in this study. The results suggest a substantial difference exists between the traffic characteristics influencing the lane changing behavior of heavy vehicle and passenger car drivers. Heavy vehicles’ speed changes little during a lane changing maneuver. Heavy vehicle drivers mainly move into the slower lanes to prevent obstructing the fast moving vehicles which approach from the rear. However, passenger car drivers increase their speed according to the speeds of the lead and lag vehicles in the target lane. They more commonly move into the faster lanes to gain speed advantages.

Article Outline

Introduction
Trajectory Data Set
Lane Changing Maneuvers
1. Motivation to Change Lanes
Speeds of Surrounding Vehicles in the Current Lane
Space Gaps of Surrounding Vehicles in the Current Lane and Target Lane
1. Selection of the Target Lane
Speeds of Surrounding Vehicles in the Current Lane, the Target Lane, and the Alternative Lane
Speed Differences in the Current Lane, the Target Lane, and the Alternative Lane
1. Lane Changing Execution
Speed Profile of Subject Vehicle and Surrounding Vehicles during the Lane Changing Maneuver
Space Gap Profiles in the Current Lane and the Target Lane during the Lane Changing Maneuver
Summary and Conclusions

KEYWORDS

ASCE SUBJECT HEADINGS

Trucks, Vehicles, Traffic analysis, Traffic congestion

AUTHOR KEYWORDS

Trucks, Automobiles, Traffic analysis, Traffic congestion

RELATED DATABASES

To view database links for this article, you need to log in.

ARTICLE DATA

Permalink

http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000165

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:

0733-947X (print)

1943-5436 (online)

Publisher:

ASCE

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.

Figures (15) Tables (3)

Access to article objects (figures, tables, multimedia) requires a subscription; log in to view available files.
(Access to supplementary files, where available, is free for this journal.)