Abstract
This paper investigates the potential changes in the geometric design elements in response to a fully autonomous vehicle fleet. When autonomous vehicles completely replace conventional vehicles, the human driver will no longer be a concern. Currently, and for safety reasons, the human driver plays an inherent role in designing highway elements, which depend on the driver’s perception-reaction time, driver’s eye height, and other driver related parameters. This study focuses on the geometric design elements that will directly be affected by the replacement of the human driver with fully autonomous vehicles. Stopping sight distance, decision sight distance, and length of sag and crest vertical curves are geometric design elements directly affected by the projected change. Revised values for these design elements are presented and their effects are quantified using a real-life scenario. An existing roadway designed using current AASHTO standards has been redesigned with the revised values. Compared with the existing design, the proposed design shows significant economic and environmental improvements, given the elimination of the human driver.
Highlights
Major efforts have been exerted to increase safety on roadways and reduce crashes
AASHTO recommends a minimum length of vertical curve of 0.6 multiplied by the design speed for crest curves [29] and the maximum between 0.6V and (AV2/395) for sag vertical curves, the latter constraint to ensure driver’s comfort
Highway geometric design elements are under constant research and development
Summary
Major efforts have been exerted to increase safety on roadways and reduce crashes. Engineers have been developing driving systems that gradually reduce and eventually eliminate the need for a human driver, reducing the human error associated with the most vehicle crashes [2]. In the past few years, autonomous vehicles have been gradually introduced to the highway network. Those vehicles are equipped with different levels of driver assistance systems, from basic levels of cruise-control and self-parking to fully autonomous vehicles requiring no human intervention. By eliminating the need for a human driver, the automation of vehicles is expected to reduce traffic and accident risks [3]. Given the rapid progression in vehicle automation, drivers are willing to let go [4] eventually turning the entire fleet to level 5, fully autonomous driverless vehicles. Provisions of the AHS involved a system of in-road magnets that helped control the vehicles’ movements
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