Do Heavy Vehicles Always Have a Negative Effect on Traffic Flow?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of heavy vehicles on traffic flow on a two-lane highway. To achieve this goal, data was obtained from piezosensors on the Seoul–Chuncheon Expressway. Analysis of the data showed that, as everyone knows, the average speed of traffic flows decreases as the proportion of heavy vehicles increases. However, not only the speed decreased, but the speed deviation between vehicles decreased. In other words, it was found that within the traffic group that formed the same platoon, individual vehicles were forced to form similar speeds, resulting in a homogeneous rate. This means that heavy vehicles can be included in the traffic stream, reducing the chances of a vehicle-to-vehicle conflict. This kind of influence can be said to explain that heavy vehicles do not necessarily have a negative effect on traffic flow. In this way, we expect to be able to study ways to manage traffic flow by using the effects of low-speed vehicles.