Estimation Desirable Safety Speed based on Driving Condition on Rural Highways

PURPOSES : The causes of traffic accidents can be classified into the factors of highway users, vehicles, and driving environments. Traffic accidents result from the deficiency in single or combination of these three factors. The objective of this study is to define the "potentially hazardous sections of highway" in terms of traffic safety considering these three factors. METHODS : The test drivers performed repeated driving on these highway sections. The drivers and passengers recorded the sections on which the driving was uncomfortable, and the speeds on the sections excluding the uncomfortable sections were used for the development of the model. RESULTS : The model is composed of three sub-models for each of the horizontal curve, tangent, and the section where the curve starts/ends. The safe driving behavior coefficients by the horizontal curvature were derived by comparing the maximum operating speeds at which the vehicle may slide or deviate and the speeds at which the drivers feel comfort. The safety speeds on tangent were derived by the length of tangent section considering the driver`s desired speeds under the traffic condition on which the drivers hardly influenced by the other vehicles. For the sections where the curve starts/ends, the driving behaviors were classified by the distances between the curves, and the safe acceleration/deceleration speeds were derived on which the drivers enter/exit the curve sections safely. CONCLUSIONS : Safety speed could then be regarded that the model suggested in this study may be useful to define the potentially hazardous highway section and contribute the improvement of highway safety.