Optimization of colored pavement considering driving behavior and psychological characteristics under dynamic low-visibility conditions related to fog—a driving simulator study

Abstract

Objective Colored pavement is commonly used to reduce the road traffic risk and promote road traffic safety, but its performance in foggy environments has not been fully assessed. The goal of this research is to explore the effectiveness and optimization of colored pavement in a dynamic low-visibility environment. Methods A driving simulation experiment is conducted. Three road risk sections in which collisions are common, including a long straight section, a sharp bend section, and a long downslope section, are considered, and three forms of colored pavement are used in five different visibility environments. The effectiveness of the colored pavement is explored by collecting and analyzing driving behavior and physiological characteristic data for 30 drivers in the established driving environment, and information is obtained through a subjective colored evaluation questionnaire. Eight evaluation indexes are selected from the perspectives of driving behavior and physiological characteristics, and the gray premium evaluation method is applied to evaluate the effectiveness of different forms of colored pavement considering the influence of visibility. Finally, the optimal colored pavement under various visibility and road alignment conditions is proposed. Results The results show that reasonably selecting colored pavement can effectively improve drivers’ behaviors and physiological characteristics under foggy conditions. For different road alignments and visibility conditions, different forms of colored pavement should be used to ensure road traffic safety. Conclusions The findings provide a theoretical reference for the optimization of colored pavement in foggy conditions.