Abstract
Driving above the speed limit is one of the factors that significantly affect safety. Many studies examined the factors affecting the speed of vehicles in the simulated environment. The present study aimed to analyze drivers’ characteristics, time and weather conditions, and geometric features’ effect on mean speed in simulated conditions simultaneously. In this regard, the simulator experiment data of 70 drivers were collected in a two-lane rural highway at six different times, and weather scenarios and their socioeconomic characteristics were collected by a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to capture the complex relationships among related variables. Eleven variables were grouped into four latent variables in the structural model. Latent variables including “Novice Drivers,” “Experienced Drivers,” “Sight Distance,” and “Geometric Design” were defined and found significant on their mean speed. The results showed that “Novice Drivers” have a positive correlation with the mean speed. Meanwhile, “Experienced Drivers,” who drive 12% slower than the novice group, negatively affect the mean speed with a standard regression weight of −0.08. This relation means that young and novice drivers are more inclined to choose higher speeds. Among variables, the latent variable “Sight Distance” has the most significant effect on the mean speed. This model shows that foggy weather conditions strongly affect the speed selection behavior and reduce the mean speed by 40%. Nighttime also reduces mean speed due to poor visibility conditions. Furthermore, “Geometric design” as the latent variable indicates the presence of curves on the simulated road, and it can be concluded that the existence of a curve on the road encourages drivers to slow down, even young drivers. It is noteworthy that the parts of the simulated road with a horizontal curve act as a speed reduction tool for drivers.
Highlights
Driving above the speed limit is one of the most critical issues in safety studies, increasing collision risk
Goralzik and Vollrath [3] defined different scenarios based on the differences in roadway curvature, lane width, speed limit, and passengers’ number in the car to evaluate drivers’ speed choice. e findings indicated that speed limitation and road geometry have the most substantial effects on drivers’ speed choice
Speed data were collected through a driving simulator and driver profiles through a questionnaire. e combination of variables was used to model the mean speed selection behavior of drivers in simulated conditions on a two-lane rural road
Summary
Driving above the speed limit is one of the most critical issues in safety studies, increasing collision risk. Sadia et al [4] investigated the effect of different environmental and road characteristics (such as horizontal and vertical curves and Advances in Civil Engineering speed limit signage), driver characteristics (sociodemographic and latent features), and risk/benefit factors (enforcement, crash risk, and time-saving benefits) by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Ese three models revealed that gender, age, and driving frequency determine drivers’ perceptions and attitudes that influence speed selection Situational factors such as traffic speed, enforcement, and time-saving benefits are related to speed selection and infrastructure characteristics.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
