Effects of Predictive Real-Time Traffic Signal Information

TL;DR

This study evaluates how real-time predictive traffic signal information influences urban driving behavior, showing positive effects on driver actions and potential traffic flow improvements.

Contribution

It is the first to empirically analyze driver behavior changes due to predictive traffic signal information using sensor data over six months.

Findings

Drivers exhibited more consistent acceleration patterns with signal info

Traffic signal info led to smoother driving behavior

Positive impact on traffic flow suggested

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of providing car drivers with predictive information on traffic signal timing in real-time, including time-to-green and green-wave speed recommendations. Over a period of six months, the behavior of these 121 drivers in everyday urban driving was analyzed with and without access to live traffic signal information. In a first period, drivers had the information providing service disabled in order to establish a baseline behavior; after that initial phase, the service was activated. In both cases, data from smartphone and vehicle sensors was collected, including speed, acceleration, fuel rate, acceleration and brake pedal positions. We estimated the changes in the driving behavior which result from drivers' receiving the traffic signal timing information by carefully comparing distributions of acceleration/deceleration patterns through statistical analysis. Our analysis demonstrates that there is a positive effect of providing traffic signal information timing to the drivers.