Department of Transportation Engineering Luigi Tocchetti, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
Accid Anal Prev. 2010 Nov;42(6):1585-94. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2010.03.017. Epub 2010 Apr 15.
The paper investigated drivers' speed behaviour in a section of a rural highway crossing a small urban community in the existing scenario without any traffic calming device and in two different design scenarios with traffic calming in the urban community. Two gateways and four integrative traffic calming devices along the route within the urban area were tested. The gateways were aimed at slowing down the vehicles entering in the built-up area, while the traffic calming devices were aimed at complementing the gateway effect inside the built-up area. Two design options were tested: first option (alt1) is a combination of low cost measures, whereas the second option (alt2) is more expensive as includes a chicane and requires land acquisition. Drivers' behaviour was investigated by means of a driving simulator experiment. The VERA dynamic-driving simulator operating at the TEST Road Safety Laboratory located in Naples (Italy) was used. Simulation results were validated by the comparison of speed behaviour in the real world and in the driving simulator, in the scenario without traffic calming. Analysis of the driving simulator experiment results was performed using two different approaches: (a) explorative description of data by cluster analysis; (b) inferential procedures about population using statistical tests. Cluster analysis was carried out in order to test if the drivers' speed behaviour in the different design alternatives was substantially different. Statistical tests were performed in order to verify if speeds in specific sections were significantly different. Cluster analysis looked at speed profiles, whereas statistical tests looked at speed data in specific points. The obtained results showed a different behaviour of drivers approaching the urban community in the existing scenario and in the design scenarios. In the south direction, mean speed reduction ranging between 16 and 17 km/h, with 5% level of significance, was observed. In the north direction, mean speed reduction equal to 11 km/h, with 10% level of significance, was observed. Differences between the two design alternatives were not statistically significant. Along the urban community, a statistically significant mean speed reduction ranging between 9 and 15 km/h was observed in the south direction. In the north direction, speed reduction was not statistically significant. Overall, combined results of cluster analysis and statistical tests showed that the treatments were more effective in the direction with higher speeds in the base scenario.
本文研究了在没有任何交通缓行措施的情况下，以及在城市社区采用两种不同交通缓行设计方案的情况下，农村公路一段穿过小型城市社区时驾驶员的速度行为。在城市区域内的路线上测试了两个入口和四个综合交通缓行装置。入口的目的是减缓进入建成区的车辆速度，而交通缓行装置的目的是在建成区内补充入口的效果。测试了两种设计方案：第一种方案（alt1）是低成本措施的组合，而第二种方案（alt2）更昂贵，因为它包括一个急弯和需要土地购置。通过驾驶模拟器实验研究了驾驶员的行为。使用位于意大利那不勒斯的 TEST 道路安全实验室的 VERA 动态驾驶模拟器进行了模拟。在没有交通缓行的情况下，通过比较现实世界和驾驶模拟器中的速度行为，对模拟结果进行了验证。通过两种不同的方法对驾驶模拟器实验结果进行了分析：（a）使用聚类分析对数据进行探索性描述；（b）使用统计检验对总体进行推断性处理。聚类分析用于测试驾驶员在不同设计方案中的速度行为是否有实质性差异。统计检验用于验证特定路段的速度是否有显著差异。聚类分析着眼于速度曲线，而统计检验则着眼于特定点的速度数据。结果表明，在现有方案和设计方案中，驾驶员接近城市社区的行为存在差异。在南部方向，观察到平均速度降低了 16 到 17 公里/小时，具有 5%的显著水平。在北部方向，观察到平均速度降低了 11 公里/小时，具有 10%的显著水平。两种设计方案之间的差异没有统计学意义。在城市社区内，南部方向观察到平均速度降低了 9 到 15 公里/小时，具有统计学意义。在北部方向，速度降低没有统计学意义。总体而言，聚类分析和统计检验的综合结果表明，在基础方案中速度较高的方向，处理措施更有效。
