Sensitivity of traffic safety to the pavement and road environment conditions using driving simulations

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article aims (1) to validate the influence of pavement skid resistance on traffic safety in most important road environments and (2) to demonstrate the usefulness and reliability of driving simulations in traffic safety analysis of real scenarios taking into account pavement skid resistance. For this purpose, driving simulation software was used to assess the influence of surface properties on vehicular movement. Collision and overturning were the selected types of accidents in the road segments under study. Traffic safety was evaluated in three possible scenarios: (1) curve driving, (2) straight-line emergency braking, and (3) braking on a curve. The selection of the most relevant road environments and accidents to the sensitivity analysis was validated by previous research. Simulations have confirmed that road environments where braking maneuvers are more common and environments with small radii of curvature and high speeds require a higher level of skid resistance. The driving simulations performed as it was demonstrated and validated in the article are easy and simple to operate and can be useful in the design phase of safe solutions.