Geometry Optimization of Speed Humps Based on Ride Comfort and Driving-Safety-Based Assessment

Abstract

The present study investigates the speed behaviors of drivers encountering speed humps on urban and suburban roads. The purpose is to optimize the geometric dimensions of different types of speed hump by considering ride comfort and driving safety criteria. Field observations of drivers’ behavior were conducted near 90 speed humps in eight cities in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Vehicles speed modeling was carried out using multi-layer perception and normalized radial basis functions artificial networks. The sensitivity analysis results of artificial neural network (ANN) models showed different factors associated with speed humps’ performance. While the length of entrance and exit ramps and passage width were the most influential factors in urban roads, speed before the humps’ position plays a crucial factor in suburban roads. Finally, the optimum geometry of speed humps was presented by ANN models for different types of roads.