Using Naturalistic Driving Study Data to Evaluate the Effects of Intersection Balance on Driver Behavior at Partial Cloverleaf Interchange Terminals

Abstract

Past studies showed that poor intersection balances at partial cloverleaf (parclo) interchange terminals significantly impact traffic safety and sight distance of drivers making left turns to entrance ramps. Some state traffic agencies have recommended a “balance” guideline that the length between the left-turn stop line on crossroads to the middle of the intersection should not be greater than 60% of the entire length of the intersection. However, a scarcity of research exists on how the balance of an intersection affects driver behavior, which has been identified as a critical contributing factor to intersection-related crashes. This study utilizes the Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) data to evaluate the effects of intersection balance on driver behavior at parclo interchange terminals for proof-of-concept. A small but representative data sample was collected from the second Strategic Highway Research Program’s (SHRP 2) NDS dataset. It demonstrates statistical characteristics and overall trends of driver speed, acceleration/deceleration rates, and risk perception with the changing of intersection balances. Conclusions provide guidance on optimal intersection balance design that may help drivers make smoother and safer transitions from crossroads to entrance ramps at parclo interchange terminals.

Social media and culture clash: Examining cultural influence on Facebook crisis communication in Botswana

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Organisational crisis communication in Botswana: Investigating the crisis response strategies and the role of social media

“…This research proposes what it refers to as the Cross Cloverleaf Relationship Matrix (CCRM) to illustrate the interdependent relationship between social media and the kgotla system. The CCRM is inspired by the cloverleaf traffic interchange (Wang & Zhou, 2018), which examined the flow of vehicles at the interchange, hence the name Cloverleaf. The introduction of this model into crisis communication studies is a significant contribution to the global scholarship on how information flows between the organisations, offline cultural platforms, and social media publics.…”