Mitigation of signalized intersection collision risks with trajectory based dynamic dilemma zone protection

Area of Science:

• Traffic Engineering
• Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Vehicle Dynamics

Background:

• Dilemma zones at signalized intersections are a primary cause of red-light running and crashes.
• Conventional methods struggle to effectively eliminate dilemma zones, leading to persistent safety risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel dilemma zone protection system using dynamic vehicular trajectory optimization.
• To shift the distribution of dilemma zones rather than eliminate them, preventing vehicles from becoming trapped.

Main Methods:

• Developed a dynamic vehicular trajectory optimization approach to guide approaching vehicles.
• Conducted extensive simulated experiments with individual vehicles and platoons under various conditions.

Main Results:

• The system demonstrated superior protection for individual vehicles across different speeds and distances.
• Significantly reduced the number of vehicles within the dilemma zone in realistic platooning scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The proposed system effectively mitigates dilemma zone issues, enhancing traffic safety.
• Offers improved operational benefits, including reduced hazardous maneuvers and vehicular delay.