Examination of lane change crashes and potential IVHS countermeasures. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Improved communication of a left exit lane drop using pavement markings.

Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

Freeway exit lane drops in Texas. Final report.

Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

Lane change/merge crashes: problem size assessment and statistical description.

Mode of access: Internet.

An unexpected role for visual feedback in vehicle steering control

Some motor tasks can be completed, quite literally, with our eyes shut. Most people can touch their nose without looking or reach for an object after only a brief glance at its location. This distinction leads to one of the defining questions of movement control: is information gleaned prior to starting the movement sufficient to complete the task (open loop), or is feedback about the progress of the movement required (closed loop)? One task that has commanded considerable interest in the literature over the years is that of steering a vehicle, in particular lane-correction and lane-changing tasks. Recent work has suggested that this type of task can proceed in a fundamentally open loop manner [1 and 2], with feedback mainly serving to correct minor, accumulating errors. This paper reevaluates the conclusions of these studies by conducting a new set of experiments in a driving simulator. We demonstrate that, in fact, drivers rely on regular visual feedback, even during the well-practiced steering task of lane changing. Without feedback, drivers fail to initiate the return phase of the maneuver, resulting in systematic errors in final heading. The results provide new insight into the control of vehicle heading, suggesting that drivers employ a simple policy of “turn and see,” with only limited understanding of the relationship between steering angle and vehicle heading.

TRFS: desenvolvimento de um protótipo para simulação microscópica de tráfego

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização de Vias de Comunicação e Transportes

Evaluation of an Epoxy Pavement Marking System, HR-180, 1978

The purpose of this research project is to determine if (1) epoxy lane markings will last an entire winter season without replacement, (2) epoxy lane marking is an economical alternative to standard paint on high-traffic multi-lane roadways where lane changing is frequent, and (3) there are worthwhile benefits derived from thorough cleaning of the pavement surface before painting. The success of epoxy lane marking depends on the success of the equipment with which it is mixed and applied. The epoxy lane marking material, if properly mixed and placed on a clean surface, has the durability required to withstand a high traffic volume and frequent lane changes for at least one year.

Low Profile Marker for Wet/Night Visibility, HR-1005, 1977

Conventional highway lane markings are ineffective at night, particularly when the pavement is wet. There is a recognized need for a system that is effective at night under wet conditions and where there is no reduction in current daytime standards. To be effective at all times the system must maintain wet-night retroreflective properties while resisting deterioration caused by snowplows, studded tires, sand and salt applications, and lane changing maneuvers by traffic. This project tested a system of low-profile lane markers developed by Battelle Columbus Laboratory under contract with the Implementation Division of the Federal Highway Administration.

Simulação de segmentos rodoviários de pista simples com faixas adicionais

Este trabalho apresenta o modelo de simulação microscópico, STIRO (Simulador de Tráfego Ininterrupto ROdoviário), desenvolvido para representar trechos de rodovias de pista simples em aclives com faixas adicionais para veículos lentos. STIRO foi utilizado permitir para avaliar as condições de tráfego sob diferentes alternativas de projeto e demanda. O comportamento dos veículos é representado pelos modelos de car-following e lane-changing. No STIRO, o modelo de car-following ainda incorpora uma restrição ao desempenho motriz baseado na relação entre massa e potência de cada categoria de veículo. O trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre diferenças entre as velocidades dos veículos pesados e automóveis e as melhorias proporcionadas pela implantação de faixas adicionais. Por fim, foi realizado um projeto de experimentos para determinar o efeito sobre a velocidade média de percurso dos veículos e ocupação média da via causado por fatores como inclinação da rampa, proporção de veículos pesados no fluxo de tráfego, extensão da rampa, e outras variáveis consideradas no modelo STIRO.

Statistical models of accidents on interchange ramps and speed-change lanes.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations, Washington, D.C.

Driving performance after an extended period of travel in an automated highway system.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations, Washington, D.C.

Effectiveness of flashing arrow boards during moving maintenance operations. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Development and testing of INTRAS, a microscopic freeway simulation model. Volume 4: program documentation. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Lateral electronic guidance system for vehicles.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Passenger vehicle, light truck and van convex mirror optimization and evaluation studies. Volume 1: convex mirror optimization. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.