Evaluating the Effects of Variable Speed Limit on Traffic Safety under Adverse Weather Conditions Based on Trajectory Data

Adverse weather, like haze, rain, etc., can decrease drivers’ visibility and increase vehicles’ stopping distances, thus augmenting the driving safety risks, leading to potential accidents. Variable speed limit (VSL) is a primary traffic control strategy to enhance road traffic safety. This research proposes a safety risk assessment method to evaluate the effects of VSL on traffic safety under adverse weather conditions based on trajectory data, considering conflict types. Surrogate safety measures and a logistic regression model using aggregated traffic flow data and crash data are utilized to identify the potential longitudinal and lateral conflicts. Simulation scenarios with/without VSL under different compliance rates are built for normal/adverse weather conditions to evaluate the safety risk with VSL. Furthermore, an XG Boost-based risk prediction model is developed. The results show VSL strategy has effective capability to reduce traffic safety risks under adverse weather on highways, especially when the compliance rate is high.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484869.130
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780784484869
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Sheng, Xinran
  • Sun, Lijun
  • Peng, Yarong
  • Tu, Huizhao
  • Liu, Yimei
• Conference:
  • 23rd COTA International Conference of Transportation Professionals
  • Location: Beijing , China
  • Date: 2023-7-14 to 2023-7-17
• Publication Date: 2023

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 1363-1373
• Monograph Title: CICTP 2023: Innovation-Empowered Technology for Sustainable, Intelligent, Decarbonized, and Connected Transportation

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway traffic control; Predictive models; Surrogate safety measures; Traffic safety; Variable speed limits; Vehicle trajectories; Weather conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01894716
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780784484869
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Sep 27 2023 9:10AM