An Evaluation of Highway Work Zone Impact Factors on Driving Safety Using Complicated Indexes Based on Traffic Simulation System

Abstract

There are quite a number of complicated factors that can affect driving safety on freeway work zone during reconstruction, for example, traffic volume, driver compliance rate (which means drivers who follow the posted speed limit), slope gradient, HGV rate and so on. This article uses the popular traffic simulation software VISSIM to simulate different situations. The results show that the safety of Upstream Transition Area and the place where speed limit signs locate are the lowest. It is recommended that speed limit signs should not be located that much, and cars and HGVs need to be more careful when merging into the Upstream Transition Area, and lower their speeds if necessary. Most important, compliance rate plays an important role in safety measures, and this provides a solid foundation for traffic control and management.