The effect of augmented driver behavior on freeway traffic flow

This paper investigates the possible virtue of the modification of longitudinal and lane-change behaviors of drivers by intelligent cruise control systems that augment individual driver behavior by enforcing minimum separation between vehicles. Such systems would not only reduce collisions but may also improve traffic flow by reducing the frequency of bottlenecks on freeways. This hypothesis is tested using a modified microsimulation of a length of freeway in Los Angeles County. A transit-oriented minimum time headway controller is compared to a traditional minimum separation intelligent cruise controller. The results show that using a fixed distance policy to control the separation tends to keep the flow more stable during peak periods and reduces travel times.