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Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on Traffic Flow Characteristics under Mixed Traffic Environment: Future Perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammed Al-Turki

    (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

  • Nedal T. Ratrout

    (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

  • Syed Masiur Rahman

    (Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

  • Imran Reza

    (Department of Civil & Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA)

Abstract

Vehicle automation and communication technologies are considered promising approaches to improve operational driving behavior. The expected gradual implementation of autonomous vehicles (AVs) shortly will cause unique impacts on the traffic flow characteristics. This paper focuses on reviewing the expected impacts under a mixed traffic environment of AVs and regular vehicles (RVs) considering different AV characteristics. The paper includes a policy implication discussion for possible actual future practice and research interests. The AV implementation has positive impacts on the traffic flow, such as improved traffic capacity and stability. However, the impact depends on the factors including penetration rate of the AVs, characteristics, and operational settings of the AVs, traffic volume level, and human driving behavior. The critical penetration rate, which has a high potential to improve traffic characteristics, was higher than 40%. AV’s intelligent control of operational driving is a function of its operational settings, mainly car-following modeling. Different adjustments of these settings may improve some traffic flow parameters and may deteriorate others. The position and distribution of AVs and the type of their leading or following vehicles may play a role in maximizing their impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammed Al-Turki & Nedal T. Ratrout & Syed Masiur Rahman & Imran Reza, 2021. "Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on Traffic Flow Characteristics under Mixed Traffic Environment: Future Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-22, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:11052-:d:650700
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    Cited by:

    1. Yang, Haifei & Zhao, Enze & Zhao, Yi & Li, Yishun, 2024. "Evaluating and enhancing the safety performance of automated longitudinal control at on-ramp merging bottleneck: A simulation study in the framework of Kerner’s three-phase traffic theory," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 639(C).
    2. Muhammad Azam & Sitti Asmah Hassan & Othman Che Puan, 2022. "Autonomous Vehicles in Mixed Traffic Conditions—A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-34, August.
    3. Yao, Zhihong & Li, Le & Liao, Wenbin & Wang, Yi & Wu, Yunxia, 2024. "Optimal lane management policy for connected automated vehicles in mixed traffic flow," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 637(C).
    4. Zibin Wei & Tao Peng & Sijia Wei, 2022. "A Robust Adaptive Traffic Signal Control Algorithm Using Q-Learning under Mixed Traffic Flow," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-16, May.
    5. Junyan Han & Xiaoyuan Wang & Gang Wang, 2022. "Modeling the Car-Following Behavior with Consideration of Driver, Vehicle, and Environment Factors: A Historical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-27, July.
    6. Zhaoming Zhou & Jianbo Yuan & Shengmin Zhou & Qiong Long & Jianrong Cai & Lei Zhang, 2023. "Modeling and Analysis of Driving Behaviour for Heterogeneous Traffic Flow Considering Market Penetration under Capacity Constraints," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Chen, Yingda & Li, Keping & Zhang, Lun & Chen, Yili & Xiao, Xue, 2024. "Modeling and analysis of mixed traffic flow capacity and stability considering human-driven vehicle drivers' trust attitude towards intelligent connected vehicles," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 635(C).

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