Wyoming Department of Transportation investigates impacts of traveler information messages in connected vehicle simulation pilot.
Laramie, Wyoming, United States
Walcott, Wyoming, United States
Connected vehicle real-time traveler information messages for freeway speed harmonization under adverse weather conditions: Trajectory level analysis using driving simulator
Summary Information
This paper employed a high-fidelity driving simulator to investigate the impacts of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot’s Traveler Information Messages (TIMs) on drivers’ speed selection and the safety benefits of their speed harmonization. Three driving simulator experiment scenarios were developed to simulate the typical traffic and weather conditions on the rural Interstate 80 (I-80) in Wyoming. A total of 25 professional drivers from the WYDOT and trucking industry were recruited to participate in the driving simulator experiment. Participants’ instantaneous speeds at various locations were collected to reveal the effects of CV TIMs on their speed selection.
The results showed that average speed profiles under CV scenarios were generally lower than under baseline scenarios, particularly for winter conditions (snowy and severe weather). The variance of speed under CV scenarios was found to be significantly lower than the baseline scenarios, indicating that CV TIMs have the potential to harmonize the variations in speed. In addition, for the work zone driving simulator experiment, this research revealed that the mean time-to-collision (TTC) under the baseline scenario is approximately 40 percent lower (less favorable) than the CV scenario, and the mean deceleration to avoid a crash (DRAC) under the baseline scenario is approximately 19.3 percent higher (less favorable) than the CV scenario. These findings suggest that CV TIMs can reduce the risk of crashes.
Connected vehicle real-time traveler information messages for freeway speed harmonization under adverse weather conditions: Trajectory level analysis using driving simulator
Volume 146, October 2020