Effect of Surrounding Traffic Characteristics on Lane Changing Behavior

Abstract

Lane changing maneuvers could have a substantial influence on traffic flow characteristics as a result of their interfering effect on surrounding vehicles. The interference effect of lane changing is more pronounced when heavy vehicles change lanes compared to when passenger cars undertake the same maneuver. This is due to the physical effects that the heavy vehicles impose on surrounding traffic. This paper investigates and compares the traffic flow characteristics which influence the lane changing behavior of heavy vehicle and passenger car drivers on freeways under heavy traffic conditions. A trajectory data set comprising 28 heavy vehicle and 28 passenger car lane changing maneuvers is a..