Relating Weather Conditions, Drivers’ Behavior, and Tire-Pavement Friction to the Analysis of Microscopic Simulated Vehicular Conflicts

Abstract

This paper aimed to combine drivers’ behavior and tire-pavement friction in different weather conditions (dry and wet) to the analysis of microscopic simulated vehicular conflicts. An assessment was proposed in terms of the proxy indicator of safety “deceleration rate to avoid the crash” (DRAC) obtained from microscopic simulations in a typical urban corridor. Saturation flow and free-flow speed were selected as the calibration parameters for microsimulation to represent behavioral adjustments according to weather. The coefficients of friction (dry and wet), measured by British pendulum and sand patch for an arterial corridor, determined the maximum available deceleration rate (MADR) for each conflict. This paper confirms a behavioral adjustment due to rainfall (decrease in saturation flow). The DRAC values decreased from dry to wet, indicating lower severity in wet conflicts. The MADR values increased from lower to higher traffic volumes due to the reduction of speeds, which represents higher friction coefficients. Even so, higher traffic volumes and wet conditions tend to represent more DRAC>MADR conflicts, leading drivers to potentially perform evasive maneuvers.