Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Car-following: a historical review
Introduction
Car-following models, which describe the processes by which drivers follow each other in the traffic stream have been studied for almost half a century (Pipes, 1953). However, the many relationships available are usually crude and often not rigorously understood or proven. Car-following itself, forms one of the main processes in all microscopic simulation models as well as in modern traffic flow theory, which attempts to understand the interplay between phenomena at the individual driver level and global behaviour on a more macroscopic scale (e.g., Krauss, 1997). In recent years, the importance of such models has increased further, with `normative' behavioural models forming the basis of the functional definitions of advanced vehicle control and safety systems (AVCSS). Other systems, such as autonomous cruise control (ACC), seek to replicate human driving behaviour through partial control of the accelerator, while removing potential hazards that may occur through driver misperception and reaction time. (Establishment of an understanding of normative driver behaviour was recently ranked as the second most important area for development out of 40 problem statements, by an expert human factors-AVCSS panel (ITS America, 1997).)
It is clear then that a detailed understanding of this key process is now becoming increasingly important as opportunities for using new techniques and technologies become available. This paper therefore seeks to provide a systematic re-examination of these models, their calibration to time-series data, and their evaluation.
Section snippets
Gazis–Herman–Rothery (GHR) model
The GHR model is perhaps the most well-known model and dates from the late fifties and early sixties. Its formulation is
where an is the acceleration of vehicle n implemented at time t by a driver and is proportional to, v the speed of the nth vehicle, Δx and Δv, the relative spacing and speeds, respectively between the nth and n−1 vehicle (the vehicle immediately in front), assessed at an earlier time t−T, where T is the driver reaction time, and m, l and c are the
Concluding remarks
In the preceding section we have seen that the study of car-following models has been extensive, with conceptual bases supported by empirical data, but generally limited by the lack of time-series following behaviour. In many cases work has also been accomplished in investigation of model stability and the implications of each of the relationships to macroscopic flow characteristics. It is highly tempting to attempt to increase the realism of a chosen model by attempting to incorporate
Acknowledgements
The research undertaken in this paper was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Contract No. GR/K77624) in the UK.
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