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Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation
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Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 39500

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Matjaž Šraml

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: traffic safety; sustainable mobility; microsimulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is a great pleasure for me to address the field of road safety and sustainable transportation and to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue “Transport Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation”.

Road safety and sustainable mobility are two key issues of road transport systems and should be considered integral parts of the whole process of planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of the road system.

A safe road transportation system based on the concepts of Vision Zero, Toward Zero, or Sustainable Safety considers human life the first and most important factor in the design of a road transportation system. In addition, the design and operation of a road transport system continues to be a major challenge for engineers and researchers. Recently, the concept of sustainable safe road design has been defined and the related methods have been greatly improved, positively affecting the decrease in traffic fatalities and injuries. Therefore, this Special Issue provides researchers and readers with an insight into some key issues in road safety and sustainable transportation, ranging from road design to driver behavior and human factor challenges associated with progress in the field of sustainable and safe mobility. Of particular interest are original and/or review papers addressing (but not limited to) the following topics:

  • Safe roads and infrastructure;
  • Methods and models for predicting road safety;
  • Human factors for motorized and vulnerable road users;
  • Concepts and approaches for a sustainable mobility;
  • Innovative road infrastructure to increase vulnerable road users’ safety;
  • Sustainable concepts in road design.

Prof. Dr. Matjaž Šraml
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • transport safety
  • safe roads and intersections
  • sustainable mobility
  • human factors in road design

Published Papers (22 papers)

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27 pages, 12865 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Head Displacement during a Frontal Collision at a Speed of 20 km/h—Experimental Studies
by Damian Frej
Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 16015; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216015 - 16 Nov 2023
Viewed by 776
Abstract
The aim of the research is to compare the head displacements of volunteers with the head displacements of the KPSIT C50 dummy, taking into account the change of vehicle seat belts. Unfortunately, sudden braking or collisions between vehicles is becoming more and more [...] Read more.
The aim of the research is to compare the head displacements of volunteers with the head displacements of the KPSIT C50 dummy, taking into account the change of vehicle seat belts. Unfortunately, sudden braking or collisions between vehicles is becoming more and more common, especially during traffic jams. There is considerable ignorance in the literature on the behavior of the human body during a low-speed collision, which motivates the development of low-speed crash test procedures in order to reduce the risk of cervical spine injuries. The tests were carried out at a teaching station designed to measure the forces in seat belts and the displacements of individual body elements (dummy or volunteer) during a low-speed crash test. The article is part of extensive research on crash tests using volunteers and KPSIT physical dummies. The study involved 150 volunteers who were divided into specific percentile groups. The article compares the head displacements of the constructed KPSIT C50 dummy with the head displacements of volunteers representing the 50th percentile group of the male population. The study conducted with volunteers was under control and was completely safe for people participating in the study. The research shows that the use of a bucket sports seat equipped with four-point or five-point seat belts significantly reduces the movement of the head during a low-speed collision. This type of vehicle seat is safer and provides a reduced risk of injury from hitting the head on the steering column in a low-speed collision when the airbag has not deployed. Moreover, research shows that standard seat belts placed in passenger vehicles allow the head to move freely forward in the event of an accident or low-speed collision. Therefore, if the speed is too low to deploy the airbag, there is a high probability that the driver and passengers will hit their heads against the cockpit of the passenger vehicle during a collision at a speed of 20 km/h. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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25 pages, 1460 KiB  
Article
Examining the Safety Impacts of High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes: International Experience and an Evaluation of First Operation in Israel
by Victoria Gitelman and Etti Doveh
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13976; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813976 - 20 Sep 2023
Viewed by 765
Abstract
Current transport policies promote better use of existing roadways by using traffic management strategies such as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. International experience showed positive mobility impacts of HOV lanes, while research evidence on their safety implications is limited. In Israel, the first HOV [...] Read more.
Current transport policies promote better use of existing roadways by using traffic management strategies such as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. International experience showed positive mobility impacts of HOV lanes, while research evidence on their safety implications is limited. In Israel, the first HOV lanes were introduced in 2019. This study examined the impacts of HOV lanes on road safety based on a detailed review of international research and accident analyses, which evaluated the safety effects of HOV lanes in Israel. The literature survey applied a systematic screening of research studies from the past two decades and found that HOV lanes were frequently associated with an adverse effect on road safety. Yet, findings were limited to the North American experience, with mostly left-side HOV lanes in use, while in Israel, right-side HOV lanes were introduced. In Israeli evaluations, before-after comparisons of accident changes with comparison groups were applied, with regression models fitted to monthly time series of 17 accident types. Results showed that HOV lanes’ operation led to increasing accident trends, particularly in interchange areas and in the daytime. In injury accidents on road sections, an average increase of 31–41% was found (yet non-significant), while at interchange areas, an increase was even higher and sometimes significant. Thus, adverse safety effects should be expected and accounted for in future planning of HOV lanes. Further research should explore the design features of HOV lanes to reduce their negative safety implications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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9 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
A Meso-Level Analysis of Factors Contributing to Freeway Crashes on Weekdays and Weekends in China
by Guangyu Liu, Shaohua Wang, Qiang Zeng and Xiaofei Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13480; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813480 - 08 Sep 2023
Viewed by 588
Abstract
This paper presents an empirical investigation of the factors contributing to freeway crashes on weekdays and weekends, using a Bayesian spatial logistic model. The crash data from Kaiyang Freeway, China, in 2014 are used for the empirical investigation. The deviation information criterion (DIC) [...] Read more.
This paper presents an empirical investigation of the factors contributing to freeway crashes on weekdays and weekends, using a Bayesian spatial logistic model. The crash data from Kaiyang Freeway, China, in 2014 are used for the empirical investigation. The deviation information criterion (DIC) values indicate that the proposed spatial logistic model is clearly superior to a logistic model in analyzing weekday and weekend crashes. Additionally, significant spatial effects are found in adjacent freeway segments for both weekday and weekend crashes, which demonstrate the reasonableness of the proposed model. The results of parameter estimation suggest that: traffic volume, roadway segment length, and the proportions of vehicles in Classes 2 and 4 have significant effects on weekday and weekend crash incidences in the same direction; horizontal curvature, presence of a ramp, and average daily precipitation impact weekday crash incidence only; and the proportion of vehicles in Class 3 and vertical grade impact weekend crash incidence only. Some countermeasures from the perspectives of roadway design and traffic management have been proposed to reduce freeway crashes on weekdays and weekends, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
23 pages, 5886 KiB  
Article
MAT-WGCN: Traffic Speed Prediction Using Multi-Head Attention Mechanism and Weighted Adjacency Matrix
by Xiaoping Tian, Lei Du, Xiaoyan Zhang and Song Wu
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13080; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713080 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 778
Abstract
Traffic prediction is important in applications such as traffic management, route planning, and traffic flow optimization. Traffic speed prediction is an important part of traffic forecasting, which has always been a challenging problem due to the complexity and dynamics of traffic systems. In [...] Read more.
Traffic prediction is important in applications such as traffic management, route planning, and traffic flow optimization. Traffic speed prediction is an important part of traffic forecasting, which has always been a challenging problem due to the complexity and dynamics of traffic systems. In order to predict traffic speed more accurately, we propose a traffic speed prediction model based on a multi-head attention mechanism and weighted adjacency matrix: MAT-WGCN. MAT-WGCN first uses GCN to extract the road spatial features in the weighted adjacency matrix, and it uses GRU to extract the correlation between speed and time from the original features. Then, the spatial features extracted by GCN and the temporal features extracted by GRU are fused, and a multi-head attention mechanism is introduced to integrate spatiotemporal features, collect and summarize spatiotemporal road information, and realize traffic speed prediction. In this study, the prediction performance of MAT-WGCN was tested on two real datasets, EXPY-TKY and METR-LA, and compared with the performance of traditional methods such as HA and SVR that do not combine spatial features, as well as T-GCN, A3T-GCN, and newer methods such as GCN and NA-DGRU that combine spatial features. The experimental results demonstrate that MAT-WGCN can capture the temporal and spatial characteristics of road conditions, thus enabling accurate traffic speed predictions. Furthermore, the incorporation of a multi-head attention mechanism significantly enhances the robustness of our model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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15 pages, 7141 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Traffic Regulation System in Protected Areas: Pilot Technology Testing in National Park in the Czech Republic
by Jiří Růžička, Milan Sliacky, Zuzana Purkrábková, Martin Langr, Patrik Horažďovský and Eva Hajčiarová
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12675; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712675 - 22 Aug 2023
Viewed by 649
Abstract
In the context of nature protection, there is an effort to regulate individual car traffic in protected areas. In the framework of the research, a pilot testing of a vehicle detection and identification system in the Krkonoše National Park was carried out using [...] Read more.
In the context of nature protection, there is an effort to regulate individual car traffic in protected areas. In the framework of the research, a pilot testing of a vehicle detection and identification system in the Krkonoše National Park was carried out using two selected technologies (license plate recognition and Bluetooth token detection). The research was carried out under conditions of poorer availability of mobile signal for transmission of measured data, lack of electrical power supply, and in challenging climatic conditions in the mountains. The main objective was to verify the applicability and limits of the mentioned technologies under these difficult conditions. For this purpose, two test sites were built: a fixed and a mobile point. Testing at both points was carried out using two basic methods, namely online through continuous data collection from the detectors and on-site through a local survey during the summer of 2022. The parameters evaluated were the reliability of the vehicle identification itself and the reliability of the operation of the individual detection subsystems and the tested system as a whole. The results show that the license plate recognition system using two cameras for the checkpoint shows a high recognition reliability, but it is reduced for some types of vehicles (especially motorcycles and four-wheelers). At the same time, this technology is demanding on energy resources. Detection using a Bluetooth scanner has proven to be highly reliable up to 50 km/h. A reliable power supply is necessary to achieve high reliability, which was a problem at the mobile point. Evaluation of images from cameras with motion detection showed the limits of this technology, which increased with increasing vehicle speed. The system can be used to detect traffic in protected areas, taking into account the limits specified in this article. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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20 pages, 3489 KiB  
Article
Cluster Analysis of Freeway Tunnel Length Based on Naturalistic Driving Safety and Comfort
by Sen Ma, Jiangbi Hu, Ershun Ma, Weicong Li and Ronghua Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11914; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511914 - 02 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 834
Abstract
The tunnel is an important component of freeway operation safety, and its classification method is the foundation of a refined management of operation safety. At present, the impact of different categories of tunnels on driver safety, comfort, and driving behavior under naturalistic driving [...] Read more.
The tunnel is an important component of freeway operation safety, and its classification method is the foundation of a refined management of operation safety. At present, the impact of different categories of tunnels on driver safety, comfort, and driving behavior under naturalistic driving conditions is not clear, and there is a lack of classification methods for tunnels of different lengths in their operation stages. This paper was based on the driving workload, which effectively expresses the safety and comfort of drivers. In this context, naturalistic driving experiments in 13 freeways and 98 tunnels with 36 participants were carried out. The DDTW+K-Means++ algorithm, which is suitable for drivers’ driving workload time series data, was used for a clustering analysis of the tunnels. According to the length of the tunnel, the operation-stage tunnels were divided into three categories: short tunnels (<450 m), general tunnels (450~4000 m), and long tunnels (>4000 m). The length of the tunnel had a positive correlation with the drivers’ driving workload, while there was a negative correlation with the vehicle running speed, and the range of changes in the drivers’ driving workload and operation safety risks in general tunnels and long tunnels was higher than that in short tunnels. Road and environmental conditions are important factors affecting the driving workload. The entrance area, the exit area of tunnels, and the middle area of long tunnels are high-risk sections in the affected area of the tunnel. These research results are of great significance for the operation safety management of freeway tunnels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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20 pages, 5532 KiB  
Article
Impact Analysis of Smart Road Stud on Driving Behavior and Traffic Flow in Two-Lane Two-Way Highway
by Maosheng Li, Qian Luo, Jing Fan and Qingyan Ning
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11559; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511559 - 26 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1225
Abstract
The smart road stud (SRS) system can improve the driver’s overtaking behavior through light guidance, which shows great potential in raising the traffic efficiency of two-way two-lane roads (TWTL). In this paper, we propose a light guidance system based on SRS and a [...] Read more.
The smart road stud (SRS) system can improve the driver’s overtaking behavior through light guidance, which shows great potential in raising the traffic efficiency of two-way two-lane roads (TWTL). In this paper, we propose a light guidance system based on SRS and a combination of driving simulator and microscopic traffic simulation methodologies for evaluating the effect of smart road studs on a TWTL traffic flow. The driving simulation results reveal that SRSs do not only drastically alter microscopic driving characteristics but also it significantly influences drivers’ decision-making process for overtaking. The frequency of overtaking with SRS escalated by 114.58% compared to that without, with the key differential in overtaking decision patterns manifesting predominantly in the selection of distance between oncoming vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. Microsimulation results demonstrate that the implementation of a smart stud system can enhance both the safety and traffic efficiency on the TWTL roadway with limited sight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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23 pages, 10475 KiB  
Article
Estimation of the Evacuation Time According to Different Flood Depths
by Piyapong Suwanno, Chaiwat Yaibok, Noriyasu Tsumita, Atsushi Fukuda, Kestsirin Theerathitichaipa, Manlika Seefong, Sajjakaj Jomnonkwao and Rattanaporn Kasemsri
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6305; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076305 - 06 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1715
Abstract
This study focused on pre-flood measures to estimate evacuation times impacted by flood depths and identify alternate routes to reduce loss of life and manage evacuation measures during flood disasters. Evacuation measures, including traffic characteristics, were reviewed according to different flood depths. Several [...] Read more.
This study focused on pre-flood measures to estimate evacuation times impacted by flood depths and identify alternate routes to reduce loss of life and manage evacuation measures during flood disasters. Evacuation measures, including traffic characteristics, were reviewed according to different flood depths. Several scenarios were constructed for different flooding situations and traffic volumes. Evacuation times in the study area were evaluated and compared for all scenarios with reference to dry conditions. Results of network performance indicators compared to the dry situation showed that average speed dropped to 2 km/h, VHT rose above 200%, and VKT rose above 30%. Cumulative evacuee arrival percentage increased when flood levels were higher than 5 cm. Flood levels of 10–15, 15–20, 20–25, and 25–30 cm represented percentages of remaining evacuees at 9%, 19%, 49%, and 83%, respectively. Time taken to evacuate increased according to flood level. For flood depths of 5–30 cm, travel time increased by 40, 90, 260, and 670 min, respectively, suggesting the need for early evacuation before the flood situation becomes serious. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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24 pages, 870 KiB  
Article
Modelling Road Work Zone Crashes’ Nature and Type of Person Involved Using Multinomial Logistic Regression
by Adriana Vieira, Bertha Santos and Luís Picado-Santos
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2674; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032674 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1823
Abstract
The sustainable development goals “Good health and well-being” and “Sustainable cities and communities” of the United Nations and World Health Organization, alert governments and researchers and raise awareness about road safety problems and the need to mitigate them. In Portugal, after the economic [...] Read more.
The sustainable development goals “Good health and well-being” and “Sustainable cities and communities” of the United Nations and World Health Organization, alert governments and researchers and raise awareness about road safety problems and the need to mitigate them. In Portugal, after the economic crisis of 2008–2013, a significant amount of road assets demand investment in maintenance and rehabilitation. The areas where these actions take place are called work zones. Considering the particularities of these areas, the proposed work aims to identify the main factors that impact the occurrence of work zones crashes. It uses the statistical technique of multinomial logistic regression, applied to official data on road crashes occurred in mainland Portugal, during the period of 2010–2015. Usually, multinomial logistic regression models are developed for crash and injury severity. In this work, the feasibility of developing predictive models for crash nature (collision, run off road and running over pedestrians) and for type of person involved in the crash (driver, passenger and pedestrian), considering only one covariate (the number of persons involved in the crash), was studied. For the two predictive models obtained, the variables road environment (urban/rural), horizontal geometric design (straight/curve), pavement grip conditions (good/bad), heavy vehicle involvement, and injury severity (fatalities, serious and slightly injuries), were identified as the preponderant factors in a universe of 230 investigated variables. Results point to an increase of work zone crash probability due to driver actions such as running straight and excessive speed for the prevailing conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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21 pages, 2295 KiB  
Article
Reducing Urban Traffic Congestion via Charging Price
by Pablo González-Aliste, Iván Derpich and Mario López
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2086; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032086 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3331
Abstract
Traffic jams are one of the major transportation problems. The United States spends USD billions to mitigate the problem, and not always with good outcomes. This problem increases and has effects on sustainable transport, such as life quality, pollution, perishables, and costs. Large [...] Read more.
Traffic jams are one of the major transportation problems. The United States spends USD billions to mitigate the problem, and not always with good outcomes. This problem increases and has effects on sustainable transport, such as life quality, pollution, perishables, and costs. Large cities reduce traffic jams through congestion charges. This paper aims to reduce urban traffic congestion by estimating the charge through a multivariable model. It studies the main jammed areas in Santiago, Chile. The data came from published surveys. The model evaluation included Fisher multiple regression (F) and the determination coefficient (R2). These validations showed that the model is statistically significant. They also showed that the parameter estimation was good. Finally, this model contributes to improving the Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG 3, SDG 11, and SDG 13, which may be successfully applied to Santiago City, as well as to any city worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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17 pages, 4854 KiB  
Article
Design and Simulation of a Variable Speed Limit System for Freeway Bottleneck Areas
by Jun Niu, Shan Lin, Erlong Lou, Zongdian Li, Kaiqun Chen and Haijian Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010162 - 22 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1818
Abstract
Freeway bottleneck areas are prone to congestion and have high accident risk. A variable speed limit provides technical support for alleviating congestion and improving traffic safety in such areas. The existing variable speed limit rules in the related literature have a single focus, [...] Read more.
Freeway bottleneck areas are prone to congestion and have high accident risk. A variable speed limit provides technical support for alleviating congestion and improving traffic safety in such areas. The existing variable speed limit rules in the related literature have a single focus, and most of them do not give specific quantitative speed limits. In this study, a variable speed limit system suitable for freeway bottleneck areas was constructed. Variable speed limit rules under different levels of traffic congestion and adverse weather conditions were designed, and the parameters for freeways were defined. Then, the VISSIM microscopic traffic simulation software was used to build two bottleneck scenarios of a tunnel area and a merging area for simulation tests. The research shows that in these two scenarios, reasonable speed limits can effectively reduce roadway delays and improve the operational efficiency of bottleneck areas in certain traffic flow ranges (e.g., a medium flow of around 900 pcu/h/lane). Unreasonable speed limits in low flow inhibit freeway efficiency more significantly. When congestion has already formed with high flow, different speed limits have a limited effect on efficiency improvement. The research results reported in this paper can provide a theoretical reference for the design and practical application of variable speed limit systems in freeway bottleneck areas. This provides a certain contribution to sustainable traffic development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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19 pages, 1389 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Modal Warning–Monitoring System Acceptance Study: What Findings Are Transferable?
by Christelle Al Haddad, Mohamed Abouelela, Graham Hancox, Fran Pilkington-Cheney, Tom Brijs and Constantinos Antoniou
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12017; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912017 - 23 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1503
Abstract
Advanced driving-assistance systems (ADAS) have been recently used to assist drivers in safety-critical situations, preventing them from reaching boundaries of unsafe driving. While previous studies have focused on ADAS use and acceptance for passenger cars, fewer have assessed the topic for professional modes, [...] Read more.
Advanced driving-assistance systems (ADAS) have been recently used to assist drivers in safety-critical situations, preventing them from reaching boundaries of unsafe driving. While previous studies have focused on ADAS use and acceptance for passenger cars, fewer have assessed the topic for professional modes, including trucks and trams. Moreover, there is still a gap in transferring knowledge across modes, mostly with regards to road safety, driver acceptance, and ADAS acceptance. This research therefore aims to fill this gap by investigating the user acceptance of a novel warning–monitoring system, based on experiments conducted in a driving simulator in three modes. The experiments, conducted in a car, truck, and tram simulator, focused on different risk factors, namely forward collision, over-speeding, vulnerable road user interactions, and special conditions including distraction and fatigue. The conducted experiments resulted in a multi-modal dataset of over 122 drivers. The analysis of drivers’ perceptions obtained through the different questionnaires revealed that drivers’ acceptance is impacted by the system‘s perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, for all investigated modes. A multi-modal technology acceptance model also revealed that some findings can be transferable between the different modes, but also that some others are more mode-specific. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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19 pages, 3723 KiB  
Article
A Fuzzy-Logic Approach Based on Driver Decision-Making Behavior Modeling and Simulation
by Abdulla I. M. Almadi, Rabia Emhamed Al Mamlook, Yahya Almarhabi, Irfan Ullah, Arshad Jamal and Nishantha Bandara
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8874; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148874 - 20 Jul 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2388
Abstract
The present study proposes a decision-making model based on different models of driver behavior, aiming to ensure integration between road safety and crash reduction based on an examination of speed limitations under weather conditions. The present study investigated differences in road safety attitude, [...] Read more.
The present study proposes a decision-making model based on different models of driver behavior, aiming to ensure integration between road safety and crash reduction based on an examination of speed limitations under weather conditions. The present study investigated differences in road safety attitude, driver behavior, and weather conditions I-69 in Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, using the fuzzy logic approach. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among a sample of Singaporean (n = 100) professional drivers. Safety level was assessed in relation to speed limits to determine whether the proposed speed limit contributed to a risky or safe situation. The experimental results show that the speed limits investigated on different roads/in different weather were based on the participants’ responses. The participants could increase or keep their current speed limit or reduce their speed limit a little or significantly. The study results were used to determine the speed limits needed on different roads/in different weather to reduce the number of crashes and to implement safe driving conditions based on the weather. Changing the speed limit from 80 mph to 70 mph reduced the number of crashes occurring under wet road conditions. According to the results of the fuzzy logic study algorithm, a driver’s emotions can predict outputs. For this study, the fuzzy logic algorithm evaluated drivers’ emotions according to the relation between the weather/road condition and the speed limit. The fuzzy logic would contribute to assessing a powerful feature of human control. The fuzzy logic algorithm can explain smooth relationships between the input and output. The input–output relationship estimated by fuzzy logic was used to understand differences in drivers’ feelings in varying road/weather conditions at different speed limits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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19 pages, 2923 KiB  
Article
An Eye-Tracking Study on the Effect of Different Signalized Intersection Typologies on Pedestrian Performance
by Chiara Gruden, Irena Ištoka Otković and Matjaž Šraml
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042112 - 12 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1834
Abstract
Pedestrian safety is a well-known issue, such that many road safety associations emphasize measures to improve this aspect. One of the main conflict points is pedestrian crossings, where motorized and non-motorized traffic flows directly interact and where pedestrian attention and reaction are two [...] Read more.
Pedestrian safety is a well-known issue, such that many road safety associations emphasize measures to improve this aspect. One of the main conflict points is pedestrian crossings, where motorized and non-motorized traffic flows directly interact and where pedestrian attention and reaction are two elements that can strongly influence their safety. Nowadays, these aspects are often deviated by the use of smartphones to surf the Internet or social media. The aim of the present study is to find out (1) whether and how intersection typology affects pedestrian behavior, both in terms of attention and crossing performance, and (2) whether and how gaze and behavioral characteristics are affected by smartphone use and social media browsing. To achieve this goal, eye-tracking technology was used to obtain qualitative and quantitative information on the number of fixations, their duration, and reaction times of pedestrians. Additionally, from the eye-tracking videos, it was possible to derive pedestrian waiting times, crossing times, and speeds. Statistical tests were conducted to determine if there is a significant difference in pedestrian behavior at the three different types of intersections and in their behavior when using or not using their device. Results confirm the initial hypotheses and quantify the difference in pedestrian gaze behavior and crossing performance when walking across three different types of signalized crosswalks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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18 pages, 3076 KiB  
Article
A Preliminary Assessment of Rider/Driver Gaze Behaviour in Slovenian Urban Areas
by Tomaž Tollazzi, Matej Moharić and Chiara Gruden
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2056; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042056 - 11 Feb 2022
Viewed by 1721
Abstract
Motorcycle riders are an increasing group of road users. The intrinsic characteristics of powered two wheelers (PTW) allow them to be particularly flexible, both in urban and extra-urban environments. Nevertheless, crash statistics indicate that riders involved in road accidents are highly likely to [...] Read more.
Motorcycle riders are an increasing group of road users. The intrinsic characteristics of powered two wheelers (PTW) allow them to be particularly flexible, both in urban and extra-urban environments. Nevertheless, crash statistics indicate that riders involved in road accidents are highly likely to suffer severe injuries, underlining the vulnerability of this group of road users. An element that can greatly affect the safety of PTW users is road design, as roads are usually designed for two-track vehicles (cars, buses, and lorries) and do not consider the needs of PTWs. Additionally, handling a motorcycle is quite different from driving a car; thus, the behaviour of riders is different to that of drivers. The aim of this paper is to compare how different road designs are perceived by riders and drivers and to preliminarily assess if riders’ behaviour and attention allocation are related. For the purpose of this research, an eye-tracking experiment was developed outdoors. Both drivers and riders travelled along a route comprising four different road designs and various road layouts, and the output was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Although it was not possible to carry out a statistical analysis due to the limited number of participants, the results demonstrate that there is a difference in the gaze behaviour of drivers and riders, with the latter being far more focused on the left-hand side of the road and concentrating on defined elements of road design. Furthermore, the experiment demonstrated that a higher number of fixations is related to lower speeds. Finally, it was noted that both kinds of road users focus fairly well on the carriageway, leading to the conclusion that the indications given through road markings may be much more effective than vertical signalisation, which has rarely been observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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28 pages, 8776 KiB  
Article
Development of Methodology for Defining a Pattern of Drivers Mobile Phone Usage While Driving
by Petar Čolić, Marijan Jakovljević, Krešimir Vidović and Marko Šoštarić
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1681; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031681 - 01 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1533
Abstract
Mobile phone usage during driving causes driver distraction, which negatively affects road traffic safety and is becoming an increasingly common cause of traffic accidents. This paper proposes a new methodology, based on anonymized datasets from telecommunication networks and analytical possibilities of data science, [...] Read more.
Mobile phone usage during driving causes driver distraction, which negatively affects road traffic safety and is becoming an increasingly common cause of traffic accidents. This paper proposes a new methodology, based on anonymized datasets from telecommunication networks and analytical possibilities of data science, which has as its goal to identify a pattern of usage of the mobile phone (in particular voice calls and applications) by drivers while driving. Based on this finding, the methodology is used to identify segments of the road infrastructure on which mobile phone usage is more intense. Applying this methodology enables stakeholders in the road traffic safety system to propose targeted measures (educational, legal, or engineering) precisely on the sections where it is most vital to do so in order to reduce mobile phone usage and enhance road safety. The proposed methodology was implemented and demonstrated on two pilot sections on state roads in the Republic of Croatia. Research results point to the fact that the percentage of drivers who use the mobile phone for voice calls or for app usage is exceptionally high (10.68% to 33.90%) and presents a serious threat to road traffic safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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18 pages, 499 KiB  
Article
An Optimization Model for Highway Work Zones Considering Safety, Mobility, and Project Cost
by Fadi Shahin, Wafa Elias, Yehiel Rosenfeld and Tomer Toledo
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1442; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031442 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2305
Abstract
Highway Work Zones (HWZs) are associated with significant adverse impacts on safety, mobility, and work costs. The objective of this paper is two-fold: First, to quantify the impacts of HWZs on safety, mobility, and work costs. Second, to develop an optimization model to [...] Read more.
Highway Work Zones (HWZs) are associated with significant adverse impacts on safety, mobility, and work costs. The objective of this paper is two-fold: First, to quantify the impacts of HWZs on safety, mobility, and work costs. Second, to develop an optimization model to minimize the total costs associated with HWZs by controlling site geometry, Temporary Traffic Control (TTC), and work management. This model implements a location-based schedule within the cost evaluation. A genetic algorithm is used to determine a set of optimal scheduling and decision variables. The performance of the model is demonstrated in a case study. The results reveal that crash costs, which were often ignored or only included indirectly in previous works, are a substantial cost component. Their explicit inclusion in the optimization process significantly affects the total cost and the optimal operations of the HWZ. Furthermore, the inclusion of a location-based schedule in the model is instrumental and affects the optimal solution since all HWZ cost components are affected by the work processes and project duration. Moreover, consideration of the effects of TTC on the optimized function has a substantial influence on the total cost. The model can support transportation agencies and local authorities in mitigating the adverse impacts associated with HWZs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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31 pages, 21928 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Road Crashes with Animals in Poland
by Tomasz Krukowicz, Krzysztof Firląg and Paweł Chrobot
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031253 - 23 Jan 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3311
Abstract
This article describes the issue of the influences of the time factor and wildlife populations on road animal–vehicle crashes. The article presents problems associated with animal–vehicle crashes in Poland. They are the subject of many court disputes. For the purposes of the study, [...] Read more.
This article describes the issue of the influences of the time factor and wildlife populations on road animal–vehicle crashes. The article presents problems associated with animal–vehicle crashes in Poland. They are the subject of many court disputes. For the purposes of the study, data on animal–vehicle road crashes were obtained from the SEWiK database, as well as data on the numbers of animals in hunting districts from 2016–2020. The relationship between the number of road crashes and time was analysed, and the relationships between the numbers of road crashes and the animal populations, as well as the locations, types, and categories of the hunting districts, were analysed as well. The factors related to changes in the wildlife populations, road crashes in previous years, and the lengths of the road networks were also analysed. The research shows no relationship between the abundance of a particular species and the number of road crashes. Instead, there is a correlation between the number of crashes in previous years and the road network length. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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13 pages, 1430 KiB  
Article
Mobility Patterns and Mode Choice Preferences during the COVID-19 Situation
by Hector Monterde-i-Bort, Matus Sucha, Ralf Risser and Tatiana Kochetova
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020768 - 11 Jan 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2382
Abstract
The empirical research on the COVID-19 epidemic’s consequences suggests a major drop in human mobility and a significant shift in travel patterns across all forms of transportation. We can observe a shift from public transport and an increase in car use, and in [...] Read more.
The empirical research on the COVID-19 epidemic’s consequences suggests a major drop in human mobility and a significant shift in travel patterns across all forms of transportation. We can observe a shift from public transport and an increase in car use, and in some cases also increase of cycling and (less often) walking. Furthermore, it seems that micromobility and, more generally, environmentally friendly and comanaged mobility (including shared services), are gaining ground. In previous research, much attention was paid to the mode choice preferences during lockdown, or early stages of the SARS-CoV-2 situation. The blind spot, and aim of this work, is how long observed changes in mode choice last and when or if we can expect the mode choice to shift back to the situation before the SARS-CoV-2 episodes. The research sample consisted of 636 cases; in total, 10 countries contributed to the sample examined in this study. The data were collected in two phases: the first in the spring of 2020 and the second in the fall of the same year. Results showed that respondents reduced mobility by car, local public transport and walking, but not bicycling during the lockdown, compared to the time before the pandemic started. When the easing came, respondents assessed their own use of the car and walking as almost back to normal. They also reported an increase in the use of public transport, but not reaching the level prior the pandemic by far. It seems that cycling was affected least by the pandemic; use of a bicycle hardly changed at all. As for the implication of our study, it is evident that special attention and actions will be needed to bring citizens back to public transport, as it seems that the impact of the pandemic on public transport use will last much longer than the pandemic itself. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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28 pages, 35139 KiB  
Article
Application and Evaluation of a Non-Accident-Based Approach to Road Safety Analysis Based on Infrastructure-Related Human Factors
by Lorenzo Domenichini, Andrea Paliotto, Monica Meocci and Valentina Branzi
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020662 - 07 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1997
Abstract
Too often the identification of critical road sites is made by “accident-based” methods that consider the occurred accidents’ number. Nevertheless, such a procedure may encounter some difficulties when an agency does not have reliable and complete crash data at the site level (e.g., [...] Read more.
Too often the identification of critical road sites is made by “accident-based” methods that consider the occurred accidents’ number. Nevertheless, such a procedure may encounter some difficulties when an agency does not have reliable and complete crash data at the site level (e.g., accidents contributing factors not clear or approximate accident location) or when crashes are underreported. Furthermore, relying on accident data means waiting for them to occur with the related consequences (possible deaths and injuries). A non-accident-based approach has been proposed by PIARC. This approach involves the application of the Human Factors Evaluation Tool (HFET), which is based on the principles of Human Factors (HF). The HFET can be applied to road segments by on-site inspections and provides a numerical performance measure named Human Factors Scores (HFS). This paper analyses which relationship exists between the results of the standard accident-based methods and those obtainable with HFET, based on the analysis of self-explaining and ergonomic features of the infrastructure. The study carried out for this purpose considered 23 km of two-way two-lane roads in Italy. A good correspondence was obtained, meaning that high risky road segments identified by the HFS correspond to road segments already burdened by a high number of accidents. The results demonstrated that the HFET allows for identifying of road segments requiring safety improvements even if accident data are unavailable. It allows for improving a proactive NSS, avoiding waiting for accidents to occur. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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25 pages, 3556 KiB  
Article
Impact of Parking Maneuvers on the Capacity of the Inlets of Intersections with Traffic Lights for Road Traffic Conditions in Poland
by Agata Kurek and Elżbieta Macioszek
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010432 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1994
Abstract
The goal of smart cities and sustainable transport is to ensure the efficient movement of people while minimizing a negative impact on the environment. Many cities around the world conduct a policy aimed at limiting parking spaces; however, the complete elimination of parking [...] Read more.
The goal of smart cities and sustainable transport is to ensure the efficient movement of people while minimizing a negative impact on the environment. Many cities around the world conduct a policy aimed at limiting parking spaces; however, the complete elimination of parking spaces in cities currently does not seem possible. Parking vehicles cause disturbances in road traffic by searching for a parking space and performing the parking maneuver. This article analyzes the impact of the parking maneuver on the capacity of the inlets of intersections with traffic lights, and the significance of the time it takes to enter and exit a parking space on road traffic disturbance areas under Polish conditions. The research is carried out in on-street parking, characterized by different positions of the parking space to the road, the different surfaces of parking spaces, and the geometry of the road next to which the parking spaces are located. Differences in the time of entry to and exit from the parking space between the research areas indicate that different characteristics of the parking spaces affect the time of the parking maneuver. Drivers wait for the acceptable distance between vehicles on the road into which the vehicle can exit from the parking space. Drivers exiting from perpendicular parking spaces more often cause traffic disruptions than in the case of parallel parking spaces, due to limited visibility. The occupancy of parking spaces directly next to the analyzed ones also affects the time of entry to and exit from the parking space. However, between the time of entry to or exit from the parking space, and the use of the parking space, there is no relationship. This finding indicates that more factors determine the time of entry to and exit from the parking space. The results presented in the article show the need to conduct further research on the impact of parking maneuvers on the capacity of intersections with traffic lights for road traffic conditions in Poland. The results of the research will allow for the design and construction of an optimal parking infrastructure that will meet the needs of road users, while minimizing the negative impact on road conditions and the natural environment following sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 3134 KiB  
Review
The Dangers of Travel—Banditry on the Roads: The Bibliometric Study of the Retrospective Literature
by Piotr Godlewski, Paweł Ciszek, Robert Mruczyk and Dariusz Skalski
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16944; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416944 - 17 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1310
Abstract
Since the dawn of time, one of the main barriers to travel has been the fear of leaving one’s place of residence and travelling into a foreign unknown and dangerous space. However, at the same time, firmly rooted in human nature is the [...] Read more.
Since the dawn of time, one of the main barriers to travel has been the fear of leaving one’s place of residence and travelling into a foreign unknown and dangerous space. However, at the same time, firmly rooted in human nature is the desire to know and experience travel, this archetypal inner need is the motive for undertaking travel. In the past, in ancient times, it was difficult to travel safely, not always succeeding in avoiding dangerous areas and being among the friendly inhabitants of distant countries. In modern times, too, travel is dangerous and no traveler can have the comfort of carefree travel until the end. This work has the character of scholarly reconnaissance and touches on selected historical threads related to banditry on the roads in the old days. This work deals with the methodology of bibliographic information retrieval using modern search methods for the expansion and accumulation of knowledge on the criminal risks of the commuter in ancient times from antiquity to the 19th century period. The main purpose of the study was to compare existing data already obtained from autopsies with those to be obtained using Google Scholar and the EBSCO databases. Available research articles were searched for using the following keywords: history of tourism, cultural tourism, dangers of travelling, travel dangers, robbery, highwaymen, bandits, robbers. The goal was also to find qualitative studies concerning the outlined areas. This article aims to show the technology of performing a comparative literature review on the subject of the dangers of travel in a historical context. To achieve this goal, the authors used the following methods: the historical method, the historical fact-finding method, the comparative method, and the method of literature analysis and criticism. The research of the second stage yielded very interesting records for the keywords bandits—131,000; cultural tourism—45,000; travel dangers—311; tourism history—7460; and travel dangers—135. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Traffic Flow, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation)
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