Abstract
To determine a better combination of signs and markings on expressway tunnel entrance sections, three types of typical signs and markings were compared and tested according to five indicators: speed, lane lateral offset, lane change behavior, fixation behavior, and operating load, using a driving simulator. The results identified that the obvious no overtaking and speed limit signs, combined with a layer of thin red pavement, had the most influence on drivers’ speed, and they led to the highest fixation frequency of static facilities, the longest average distance from the completion point of the lane change to the entrance, and the longest average lane change distance, which could help drivers to pass through tunnel entrance sections more smoothly. The location of the static facilities should be between 3 s before the tunnel entrance and 3 s after entering the tunnel, as this is the area where a driver’s relative viewpoint changes. The improper combination of warning signs and deceleration measures will affect a driver’s judgment, causing negative effects, such as premature lane changes and an increased operating load. The research results can provide a design basis and reference for the combination setting of safety signs and markings on tunnel entrance sections.
Highlights
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Tunnel entrance sections have always been considered a bottleneck by traffic safety management, and their safety designs are very important to reduce traffic accidents and traffic congestion caused by accidents
This paper focuses on the use of different combinations of signs and marks, and compares these different
Summary
According to the existing statistics of traffic accidents in highway tunnel sections in mountainous areas, the traffic accident rate in highway tunnel sections in China is slightly higher than that of general open roads [1]. The tunnel accident rate is slightly lower than that of general open roads, the area near the entrance section is more dangerous than that of the middle section, and non-fire accidents are far more common than fire accidents [3]. Statistics of tunnel accidents in China show that the relatively high traffic accident rate in tunnel entrance sections is mainly due to the transition between two different operating environments in tunnel entrance sections. The question of how to improve the operating environment of tunnel entrance sections mainly depends
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