Modeling the Strategic Behavior of Drivers for Multi-Lane Highway Driving

Abstract

Current state-of-the-art highway traffic flow simulators rely extensively on models using formulas similar to those describing physical phenomena such as forces, viscosity or potential fields. These models have been carefully calibrated to represent the overall flow of traffic and they can also be extended to account for the cognitive limitations of the driver, such as reaction times. However, there are some aspects of driver behavior such as strategic planning which are difficult to formulate mathematically. In this paper, we describe the YAES-DSIM highway simulator which integrates virtual physics models with an agent-based model. The virtual physics component models the physical vehicle and the subconscious aspects of the driver behavior, while the agent component is responsible for the strategic and tactical decisions which are difficult to model using virtual physics. In this paper we focus on the lane change decisions of the drivers, with special attention to the optimal lane positioning for a safe exit. We have used the model to simulate the flow of traffic on Highway 408 in Orlando, Florida and to study the impact of various tactical and strategic decisions on the efficiency and safety of the traffic.

A review on agent-based technology for traffic and transportation

“…(2012) who use a 3D model with detailed agent manoeuvre behaviour and analysis of driver or pedestrian agents perception. Luo and Boloni (2012) focus on detailed perception models for simulating driving strategies with lane changes. Benenson and Martens (2008) require a realistic traffic flow simulation for the task of reproducing the search behaviour of drivers for free parking places in the residential areas of Tel Aviv.…”

Vehicular Networks

“…Although these and other graph algorithms are NP, efficient heuristics that run on polynomial time could be used instead. However, to predict a vehicular network topology is easier said than done, due to a large number of variables that are involved: traffic lights, the behavior of pedestrians, hazards, and the subconscious aspects of drivers [Luo et al 2015]; -Efficient communication protocols: Besides selecting replica vehicles accordingly, it is very important to propose efficient and large-scale delivery protocols. These protocols are used for content delivery in push-and pull-based applications, as well as for request propagation in pull-based applications.…”

Reducing Side-Sweep Accidents with Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication

“…Finally, the simulator needs to model driver behavior [41], in particular not only whether the driver can see the blocking vehicle, but also whether it will check its mirrors, as well as the temporal relationship of the decision making with regards to the sighting.…”