Optimal jam-absorption driving strategy for mitigating rear-end collision risks with oscillations on freeway straight...

Area of Science:

• Traffic Engineering
• Transportation Science
• Automotive Safety

Background:

• Traffic oscillations (stop-and-go waves) on freeways cause speed variations and reduce safety.
• Existing jam-absorption strategies overlook safety impacts from controlled vehicles.
• Rear-end collisions are a significant risk in freeway traffic jams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an optimal jam-absorption driving strategy for mitigating traffic oscillations and rear-end collision risks on freeway straight segments.
• To enhance freeway traffic safety by addressing the effects of controlled vehicles.
• To develop a strategy that eliminates downstream oscillations without creating upstream waves.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Wavelet Transform (WT) and steady equilibrium car-following conditions to identify oscillation start/end points.
• Modified the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) to simulate a connected vehicle environment.
• Evaluated various controlled vehicle speeds and safety performance measurements.

Main Results:

• The proposed optimal strategy effectively reduced or eliminated traffic oscillations.
• Surrogate safety measures were reduced by 93.53%-94.78%.
• Total travel time decreased by 1.27% compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• The optimal jam-absorption strategy significantly improves freeway traffic safety and flow.
• The strategy successfully mitigates oscillations by controlled vehicle deceleration and gap creation.
• This approach offers superior performance over previous jam-absorption strategies.