Citation

Ehsan Jafari Nasab S, Saber Naseralavi S, Pourmoallem N. Travel Behav. Soc. 2015; 2(3): 156-165.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.tbs.2015.01.001

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

One of the objectives of transportation engineers is to maximize safety in road networks while preserving their appropriate efficiency. This could be done by improving the existing projects or enhancing design standards for new transportation components. Another important use of traffic safety studies relates to the investigation of changes taking place in the existing safety level as the characteristics of road system changes, and studies before and after the changes.

In this paper, we attempt to assess the effects and role of Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) in enhancing road safety and reducing the number of rear-end collisions in freeways by reducing drivers’ reaction time in facing critical situations. In so doing, the study deploys the new Urgent Deceleration Index (UDI).

This paper comprises five sections. In the second section, we review the literature including introducing Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) and car-following models; introducing and comparing time headway (THDW), Time to Collision (TTC), the time exposed to TTC (TET) index, and the new Urgent Deceleration Index (UDI). In the third section, the research methodology of the assessment of safety before and after the use of VANETs by using the UDI index will be described. In the fourth section, we present the results of analysis including the calculation of the percentage of time that the vehicles are exposed to danger in the process of car-following, before and after the establishment of intelligent connection between vehicles. And finally, the fifth section offers conclusions and suggestions for further research.

Language: en