Development of Safe ETCS Operation Guidelines Using Vehicle Speed Trajectory Analysis

Electronic toll collection systems (ETCS) have begun to be introduced globally in the early 1990s in order to relieve traffic congestion at expressway toll gates and are currently operate in approximately 30 countries. However, studies related to safe operation of ETCSs are insufficient. Since ETCS tag-equipped vehicles pass toll gates without any stop while general vehicles stop to pay tolls, speed differences between high speed and low speed vehicles occur at toll gates. Therefore, when ETCSs are introduced, guidelines for toll gate lane operation are necessary. In this study, the authors identify the necessity of ETCS operation guidelines through analyses of cases of ETCS operation in various countries and identify the risk of the occurrence of accidents based on speed differences between ETCS tag-equipped vehicles and general vehicles by examining actual running speeds of actual vehicles. The authors also identify that by allowing vehicles that have entered the wrong lane to change lanes reduces the risk of accidents and prevents accidents resulting from speed differences between ETCS tag equipped vehicles and general vehicles. In particular, we investigated the relationship between speed differences and accident rates to establish traffic operational guidelines in relation to speed differences.