Exploring Longitudinal Driving Behaviour On A Freeway Deceleration Lane Using Field Operational Test Data

The deceleration lane isbefore numbers to minus signs. a critical part of the freeway, enabling vehicles to exit the expressway safely and in an orderly fashion. However, drivers are human and thus make subjective decisions while driving; as such, each driver may approach and traverse the deceleration lane differently. This variance, which can cause major traffic disruptions and collisions, can be observed - and even mitigated, as proposed herein - based on a driver's particular characteristics. To study the variances in the longitudinal vehicle positions and microscopic operating characteristics of different drivers on a freeway exit area, a field operational test involving 46 subjects was carried out to collect data on driver characteristics, vehicle motion postures, micro-driving operations, and road geometric elements. The 46 participants were observed based on experience and gender, and the mathematical statistical method was used to analyse driving differences in the deceleration lane. The results show that (1) the vehicle motion state can be divided into four operational stages on the deceleration lane: the pre-deceleration process, the dynamic adjustment process, the first braking process, and the second braking process; (2) drivers generally adopted deceleration behaviour rather than maintain uniform speed when driving in the taper; (3) about 50% of drivers braked after entering the deceleration lane; (4) male drivers and skilled drivers were more inclined to drive at a higher speed on the deceleration lane, and female drivers showed a sharp increase in braking frequency once they travelled 110-150 m downstream of the taper starting point. The results of this study provide data and insights for deceleration lane design, traffic management, and driver training.