Behavioral Patterns of Drivers under Signalized and Unsignalized Urban Intersections

Abstract

Under the general trend of mixed traffic flow, an in-depth understanding of the driving behaviors of traditional vehicles is of great significance for the design of autonomous vehicles and the improvement in the safety and acceptance of autonomous vehicles. This study first obtained microdata on the behaviors of drivers through driving simulation experiments and conducted research in stages. Then, generalized linear mixed-effects models were constructed to study the main effects and interaction effects of driver attributes and traffic conditions on driving behaviors. The data analysis shows that the overall speed of drivers passing through intersections follows a “deceleration acceleration” mode, but the fluctuations are more pronounced at signalized intersections, and the signal control significantly changes the position of the lowest speed when turning left. According to the different signal control and driving tasks, there are significant differences in a driver’s acceleration patterns between the entry and exit stages. A driver’s heart rate fluctuates greatly during the exit phase, especially during straight tasks. Compared with other indicators, the change in the gaze duration is not significant. In addition, interaction effects were observed between driver attributes and traffic conditions, with participants exhibiting different behavioral patterns based on their different attributes. The research results can provide a basis for the design of driving assistance systems and further improve the interactions between autonomous vehicles and traditional vehicles at intersections.