STOPPING DISTANCE ANALYSIS FOR THROUGH VEHICLES IN A THREELANE ROAD AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS

Signalized intersections are the common bottlenecks in road networks, which significantly affect road safety and traffic efficiency. With the increasing number of vehicles, driving behaviors tend to be more differential and diverse. The differentiation and diversity might increase accident risk and traffic congestion. Therefore, it is essential to identify drivers' behavior characteristics for improving the efficiency and safety of signalized intersections. This study focuses on investigating the stopping distance distribution for through vehicles at signalized intersections during peak hours. The differences of stopping distance in the three lanes, and the relationship between stopping distance and upstream speed were examined. The results show that for vehicles waiting in the first row of a three-lane road, the stopping distance is shorter for the first vehicle to pass the stopline than for the two other vehicles. And else, there is a negative non-linear relationship between stopping distance and upstream velocity, for the 1st vehicle passing the line. It was found that most drivers might have made the decision to pass first before they entering the surrounding zone to the intersection. The findings of this study can provide supporting evidence for developing traffic micro-simulation models, and also can be used for improving road safety and traffic efficiency at signalized intersections.