The objectives of this project are:
Highway
The proposed study will examine the vehicle headway issue and its impact on the slow-down effect that is often observed on vehicles approaching in-service dynamic message signs. The purpose of this research is to help achieve the mission stated in the Rhode Island Strategic Highway Safety Plan to reduce fatalities and serious injuries caused by aggressive driving. The proposed research is consistent with the URITC Theme "Connectivity through Sustainable Transportation Systems." It is aimed to facilitate a more efficient and safer driving on highway by reducing accidents caused by aggressive driving, namely, tailgating.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines "Aggressive driving" as "an individual committing a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property." Among these traffic offenses, tailgating is one of the most dangerous driving behaviors and is a major cause of rear-end crash which has an annual average of about 2.5 million in the US. Incidences of aggressive driving cases have been increasing each year in the United States. Finding effective means to encourage prper vehicle headway maintenance and to warn and discourage tailgating behavior is thus of utmost importance.
A multi-stage study is proposed. It starts with an extensive literature review and a driver survey to identify leading causes to tailgating. It examines the effectiveness of existing practices in tailgating treatments in terms of vehicle headway, driving speed and crashes. It will collaborate with the Transport Research Center in Czech Republic to gain a European perspective on this issue. The capabilities and limitations of these tailgating treatments will be assessed and selected treatments will be examined in the later parts of this study. New tailgating treatment systems consisting of integrated uses of roadside reference marks, pavement markings, fixed signs, and variable/dynamic message signs will be proposed. Driver surveys and focus groups meetings will be conducted to determine effective messages to be posted on fixed and electronic signs. One or more headway management and tailgating treatment systems will be recommended through driving simulations and field studies in a future study.
It is expected that this research will help drivers maintain safe vehicle headways, identify the causes of tailgating, find effective treatments for tailgating, help drivers maintain safe following distances, and ultimately reduce injuries and fatailities caused by rear-end crashes.
Task 1 - Review of Literature and Existing Studies
Task 2 - Develop and conduct a questionnaire survey
Task 3 - Analyze results and make recommendations
Task 4 - Summarize the results and prepare a final report
Review of Literature and Existing Studies: Months 1, 2
Develop and conduct a questionnaire survey: Months 2, 3, 4
Analyze results and make recommendations: Months 4, 5
Summarize the results and prepare a final report: Months 5, 6
$35,640.00
This research will be lead by Dr. Wang with collaborations from RIDOT and URITC. The research team includes the PI, graduate students, and undergraduate students. It shall be noted that the project will involve students from Puerto Rico through summer internship at the University of Rhode Island. The students will be involved with conducting an extensive literature review of effective vehicle headway management and tailgating treatment systems and leading causes of tailgating, assessment of these systems, designing questionnaire survey, and surveying drivers.
Tailgating treatment is critical to the connectivity and safety of highway driving and is an important element in traffic management. This project is conducting research to seek means to help enhance connectivity and driving safety by treating tailgating effectively. It can be linked to many other research projects on similar issues. Specially, it is built upon previous research work carried out by the Pis. The successs of these past studies, as evidenced by many publications and presentations resulting from them, assures the success of this project.
With a proven record in this research area, the PI will ensure that the proposed research is consistent with the URITC theme, and the objectives be fully achieved. Upon completion a final report will be submitted to URITC and be duplicated and distributed to all interested parties through URITC. Besides printed reports, arrangements will be made with state DOT agencies and traffic management agencies, via URITC to publicize the results and findings through presentations, telecronferencing, and workshops.
Technical papers based on the final report will be prepared and submitted to TRB, ITE and other professional transportation meetings and conferences. The findings of this project will be shared with the transportation engineering community as conference presentations and journal publications. Special efforts will be made to present the project findings to high school and college students to stimulate their interests and transportation engineering research.
This study is important to the state of Rhode Island due to its high percentage (52%) of speed related fatal crashes. This percentage is twenty percent higher than the national average and ten percent higher than the New England region. It shall be noted that the overall number of speed related crashes in Rhode Island is relatively small compared to other states because of her size. A reduction of crashes caused by tailgating could dramatically reduce the speed related crash percentage as well as the numbers of those killed or injured in those crashes.
The potential benefits associated with the implementation of recommended vehicle headway management and tailgating treatment systems include:
human factors, tailgating, vehicle headway analysis, questionnaire survey