On the precise quantification of the impact of a single discretionary lane change on surrounding traffic

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new metric called CTDB to precisely measure the spatial and temporal impact of a single lane change on surrounding traffic, addressing previous measurement limitations.

Contribution

It develops a comprehensive methodology and a novel quantitative indicator for accurately assessing lane-changing impacts on traffic dynamics.

Findings

Lane change impact lasts about 24 seconds on average.

Approximately 5-6 vehicles are affected by a single lane change.

The CTDB metric quantifies impact magnitude with a value of -10.8 meters in target lane.

Abstract

Lane-changing is a critical maneuver of vehicle driving, and a comprehensive understanding of its impact on traffic is essential for effective traffic management and optimization. Unfortunately, existing studies fail to adequately distinguish the impact of lane changes from those resulting from natural traffic dynamics. Additionally, there is a lack of precise methods for measuring the spatial extent and duration of the impact of a single discretionary lane change, as well as a definitive metric to quantify the overall spatiotemporal impact. To address these gaps, this study introduces a quantitative indicator called the Corrected Travel Distance Bias (CTDB), which accounts for variable speeds due to inherent traffic dynamics, providing a more accurate assessment of lane-changing impacts. A comprehensive methodology is developed to compare vehicle trajectory data before and after lane-changing events, measuring both the magnitude and spatiotemporal extent of the lane-changing impact. The results, based on the Zen traffic data from Japan, indicate that the impact of a lane change in the target lane lasts an average of 23.8 seconds, affecting approximately 5.6 vehicles, with a CTDB value of -10.8 meters. In contrast, in the original lane, the impact lasts 25 seconds, affects 5.3 vehicles, and yields a CTDB value of 4.7 meters.