Investigating distance halo effect of fixed automated speed camera based on taxi GPS trajectory data

Background:The deterrence effect of automated speed camera(ASC)is still inconclusive.Moreover,it is pointed out that ASC may have varying deterrence effects on different types of road users(e.g.,taxis).Objective:This study intends to investigate the distance halo effect of fixed ASC(hereafter called ASC)on taxis.Method:More than 1.34 million taxis’GPS trajectory data were collected.A novel indicator,the delta speed(defined as the difference between the traveling speed and the speed limit),was proposed to continuously describe the variations in traveling speeds.The upstream and downstream critical delta speeds during each time period on weekdays and weekends were obtained by using K-means clustering method,respectively.Based on the critical delta speeds,the ranges of upstream and downstream distance halo effects of ASC during different time periods on weekdays and weekends were determined separately and compared.Results:The downstream critical delta speed is smaller than the upstream one.The upstream and downstream distance halo effects of ASC on taxis are within a range of 8-2180 m and an area of 10-580 m to the ASC location,respectively.There are no obvious difference in the ranges of upstream and downstream distance halo effects of ASC on taxis between different time periods or between weekdays and weekends.Conclusion:The present study confirms that the upstream and downstream distance halo effects of ASC on taxis have different ranges and the stabilities of time-of-day and day-of-week.Practical application:The findings of this study can provide a basic reference for reasonably deploying ASCs within a region.

Yellow light dilemma zone researches: a review

The yellow light dilemma zone is widely known as an area on the high-speed intersection ap- proach, where vehicles neither safely stop before the stop line nor proceed through the intersection dur- ing amber interval. Within such an area, a vehicle might be involved in a right-angle crash or rear-end collision. This issue has been extensively discussed over five decades in traffic engineering field, cov- eting from theory to practice. However, few comprehensive review literatures on the amber signal di- lemma zone problems can be found. The objective of this paper is to summarize the evolution of yellow light dilemma zone researches. Basic definition and boundary of dilemma zone followed by driver be- havior and dilemma zone hazard measurement are depicted. At last, the future directions of yellow light dilemma zone research are discussed.

Investigating crash injury severity at unsignalized intersections in Heilongjiang Province,China

Many studies suggest that more crashes occur due to mixed traffic flow at unsignalized intersections. However, very little is known about the injury severity of these crashes. The objective of this study is therefore to investigate how contributory factors affect crash injury severity at unsignalized intersections. The dataset used for this analysis derived from police crash reports from Dec. 2006 to Apr. 2009 in Heilongjiang Province, China. An ordered probit model was developed to predict the probability that the injury severity of a crash will be one of four levels ： no injury, slight injury, severe injury, and fatal injury. The injury severity of a crash was evaluated in terms of the most severe injury sustained by any person involved in the crash. Results from the present study showed that different factors had varying effects on crash injury severity. Factors found to result in the increased probability of serious injuries include adverse weather, sideswiping with pedestrians on poor surface, the interaction of rear-ends and the third-class highway, winter night without illumination, and the interaction between traffic signs or markings and the third-class highway. Although there are some limitations in the current study, this study provides more insights into crash injury severity at unsignalized intersections.