Analysis of Distribution, Frequency, and Duration of Naturalistic Lane Changes

Abstract

This paper describes preliminary results of naturalistic lane change distribution, frequency, and duration data collected unobtrusively from 16 commuters using instrumented vehicles. The study was designed to improve upon previous data collection methods and support crash avoidance system development. A total of 8,667 lane changes (including unsuccessful maneuvers) were identified and classified in terms of severity, urgency, maneuver type, and success/magnitude. The total miles driven was 23,949 (38,542 km) with an average of 37.4 miles (60.2 km) per commute and 2.76 miles (4.44 km) per lane change. More than 37% of lane changes were due to a slow vehicle ahead. The mean duration for 7,192 single lane changes was 6.28 seconds with a standard deviation of 2.0. Analysis revealed no significant effects for duration. For frequency, significantly more lane changes were completed by drivers on the interstate, perhaps due to traffic density, while sedan drivers made significantly more lane changes than SUV drivers. A significant driver type (vehicle normally driven) by route (interstate or highway) interaction was discovered, perhaps due to driving style. A gender by route interaction was also found.

Age-Related Deficits in the Frequency of Gaze Responses to the Mirrors and Blind-Spot During Land Change Maneuvers of Various Complexity

“…Younger drivers showed an increased frequency of glances towards the rear-view mirror and the blind spot when overtaking a slower vehicle (presumably a more complex manoeuvre performed at a higher speed than avoiding a static object). Compared to recent values obtained with on-the-road testing (Olsen et al, 2002;, the frequency of glances we are reporting look inflated. Indeed, Olsen and colleagues reported that 46% of the left-lane changes had a glance to the rear-view mirror, 53% to the left-side mirror and only 30% to the left blind spot.…”

“…For instance, Robinson et al (1972) reported that the first search is towards the left-side mirror in 70-80% of lane changes, and that the number of glances increases with increased traffic density. More recently, Wierwille and collaborators conducted an extensive analysis of on-the-road glances of experienced drivers during the 3-s period preceding lane changes (Olsen, Lee, & Wierwille, 2002;. They reported glance durations of 2.4 s with 46% of the left-lane changes having a glance to the rear-view mirror, 53% to the left-side mirror and only 30% to the left blind spot.…”

The Effect of Age and Gender on Visual Search During Lane Changing

“…Left and right lane changes were considered separately. Previous work has shown that opposite ROI to the lane change direction are rarely, if ever, inspected (Olsen et al, 2002(Olsen et al, , 2005. Therefore, only the external mirror and blind spot respective to the lane change direction were considered.…”

“…Older drivers showed a lower frequency of glances toward the side mirror and blind spot compared to younger drivers. A number of studies (Henning, Scweigert, Baumann, & Krems, 2006;Kiefer & Hankey, 2008;Olsen, Lee, & Wierwille, 2002Robinson, Erickson, Thurston, & Clark, 1972) have assessed drivers' visual search during lane changes under highway conditions. To the best of our knowledge, however, this pattern of reduced mirror use in older drivers prior to lane changing observed by Lavallière et al (2007) has not been quantified under actual highway driving conditions.…”

Assessment of high-integrity embedded automotive control systems using hardware in the loop simulation

“…The trajectory accommodates a changing velocity v, and the change time t 1 was made inversely proportional to the move urgency, centered on a mean maneuver time of 6.2 seconds (Olsen et al 2002). The lane change models are updated in the simulation every 10 ms.…”