Assessment of Multilane Highway Capacity Through Simulation Process by Considering the Effect of Behavior of Driver of a Vehicle

Abstract

In case of a non-lane based heterogeneous traffic flow, the vehicle driver’s behavior becomes one of the major considering aspects for proper traffic maneuverability. In the present study, microscopic simulation model has been used, as it contains abundant autonomous parameters to illustrate the features of traffic flow, behavior of drivers and traffic regulatory processes. The present traffic simulation model follows two modified models based on vehicle following theories and behaviors as modified by Wiedemann. A driver in the micro-simulation model considers the preceding vehicle as well as neighboring lane vehicles in a traffic stream. The methodological description of a vehicle technically, behavior and interdependency of a driver and a vehicle as a unit is attributes of a driver and his or her vehicle in a traffic stream. Thus, hysteresis plots of relative speed against relative distance are made for aggregated leader and follower vehicles of each vehicle type based on follower vehicular category to get the calibrated coefficient of correlation parameters (CC). A new simulation model with calibrated CC parameters is made to get a realistic capacity estimate of different multilane highways in Indian conditions.