In intelligent transportation systems, vehicles can obtain more information, and the interactivity between vehicles can be improved. Therefore, it is necessary to study car-following behavior during the introduction of intelligent traffic information technology. To study the impacts of drivers’ characteristics on the dynamic characteristics of car-following behavior in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication environment, we first analyzed the relationship between drivers’ characteristics and the following car’s optimal velocity using vehicle trajectory data via the grey relational analysis method and then presented a new optimal velocity function (OVF). The boundary conditions of the new OVF were analyzed theoretically, and the results showed that the new OVF can better describe drivers’ characteristics than the traditional OVF. Subsequently, we proposed an extended car-following model by combining V2V communication based on the new OVF and previous car-following models. Finally, numerical simulations were carried out to explore the effect of drivers’ characteristics on car-following behavior and fuel economy of vehicles, and the results indicated that the proposed model can improve vehicles’ mobility, safety, fuel consumption, and emissions in different traffic scenarios. In conclusion, the performance of traffic flow was improved by taking drivers’ characteristics into account under the V2V communication situation for car-following theory.

To promote the sustainable development and safety of bicycle traffic, survival analysis of the risk perception sensitivity of cyclists is proposed. The cumulative probability of survival serves as an index of risk perception sensitivity, and a Cox regression model is established. The proposed method is applied to middle school cyclists, and the factors of their risk perception are analyzed. Data are collected by questionnaire and traffic conflict survey and are quantified by factor analysis. The model results show that active and extroverted personality, negative peer influence, unsafe riding behavior intention, non-motor vehicle flow and speed, and a lack of separation facilities have negative correlations with risk perception sensitivity. Positive attitude towards traffic rules, good family education, heightened traffic safety awareness, motor vehicle flow and speed, pedestrian flow, and non-motorized lane width have positive correlations with risk perception sensitivity. The conflict type has no correlation with risk perception sensitivity. This study aims to improve the sensitivity of risk perception, prevent traffic conflicts and provide a theoretical basis for risk perception research on vulnerable traffic participants.

We investigate the dynamic performance of traffic flow using a modified optimal velocity car-following model. In the car-following scenarios, the following vehicle must continuously adjust the following distance to the preceding vehicle in real time. A new optimal velocity function incorporating the desired safety distance instead of a preset constant is presented first to describe the abovementioned car-following behavior dynamically. The boundary conditions of the new optimal velocity function are theoretically analyzed. Subsequently, we propose an improved car-following model by combining the heterogeneity of driver’s sensitivity based on the new optimal velocity function and previous car-following model. The stability criterion of the improved model is obtained through the linear analysis method. Finally, numerical simulation is performed to explore the effect of the desired safety distance and the heterogeneity of driver’s sensitivity on the traffic flow. Results show that the proposed model has considerable effects on improving traffic stability and suppressing traffic congestion. Furthermore, the proposed model is compatible with the heterogeneity of driver’s sensitivity and can enhance the average velocity of traffic flow compared with the conventional model. In conclusion, the dynamic performance of traffic flow can be improved by considering the desired safety distance and the heterogeneity of driver’s sensitivity in the car-following model.

This paper introduces an improved car-following speed (CFS) model that simultaneously considers speed of the lead vehicle, vehicle spacing, and driver’s sensitivity to them. Specifically, the proposed model extends the Helbing-Tilch model and Yang et al. model developed based on the principle of grey relational analysis where vehicle spacing is considered as the primary factor contributing to car-following speed choices. A computational experiment is conducted for model calibration using vehicle spacing, speed, and acceleration data derived from vehicle trajectory data of the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) project sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It shows that speed of the lead vehicle and vehicle spacing significantly affect speed of the lag vehicle. Further, model validation is carried out using an independent NGSIM dataset by comparing vehicle speed predictions made by the calibrated CFS model with Helbing-Tilch model and Yang et al. model as benchmarks. Compared with speed prediction results of the benchmark models, mean relative errors, root mean square errors, and equal coefficient of speed predictions of the CFS model have reduced by 72.41% and 61.85%, 70.14% and 57.99%, and 33.15% and 14.48%, respectively. The findings of model validation reveal that the CFS model could improve the accuracy of speed predictions in the car-following process.

Cyclists occupying motorized vehicle lanes disrupt road traffic order and increase collisions. Exploring the contributing factors could help develop countermeasures to regulate such behaviors. The purpose of this study is to explore the intrinsic features influencing the behavior of cyclists in occupying motorized vehicle lanes at different bicycle facilities. We investigated a total of 34,631 cycling behavior samples in the urban area of Pingdingshan, China. A Bayesian random parameter logit model was used to account for the unobserved heterogeneous effects. The experimental results of all bike facilities demonstrate that the bike type, dividing strip type, bike lane width, temporary on-street parking, and whether it is a working day significantly affect cyclists’ occupying motorized vehicle lane behaviors. Factors associated with unobserved heterogeneity are age, barriers dividing strip, vehicle lane numbers, bike volume, vehicle volume, and daily recording time intervals. Comparing the estimated model of five type bike lane facilities across different dividing strips, we find that cyclists have a significantly different occupying probability and the heterogeneity factors of the various bike facilities also have their focus. When the non-motorized road conditions become more open, the cyclist behavior becomes more random and the heterogeneity factors become broader.