Improving Road Transport Models Incorporating Cooperative Priority

近年来，一系列越来越详细的模拟模型被开发出来，以帮助设计新的道路基础设施。一般来说，这些模型通常假设所有司机都遵守道路规则，除非被迫这么做。然而，很明显，这意味着这类模型错过了一种被称为合作优先的驾驶行为，例如，当规则规定他们必须等待时，司机选择允许另一辆车/行人先行，当规则不建议这样做时，选择改变车道，允许另一辆车从侧路并入，或者仅仅为了他人的利益而在固定的交通队列中留出空隙。如果在交通模型中没有正确表示这种行为，很可能会严重高估路口的排队和延误，导致效益-成本分析中使用错误的数据，并可能对实施路口改善方案做出糟糕的决策。因此，该项目将调查这种合作行为的普遍程度，并制定将其纳入现有建模框架的方法。

Recent years have seen a series of increasingly detailed simulation models developed to aid in the design of new road infrastructure. In general, these models usually assume that all drivers follow the rules of the road unless forced to do otherwise. It has become apparent however that this means such models miss a form of driving behaviour known as cooperative priority, where drivers for example choose to allow another vehicle/pedestrian to move first when the rules say they would have to wait, to change lane to allow another vehicle to merge from a side road when the rules do not recommend this, or to leave a gap in a stationary queue of traffic simply for the benefit of others. Without correct representation of such behaviour in the transport models, it is likely that queues and delays at junctions are being significantly overestimated, leading to incorrect data being used in benefit-cost analyses and potentially poor decisions over the implementation of junction improvement schemes. This project will therefore investigate the prevalence of such cooperative behaviour and develop ways in which to incorporate it into existing modelling frameworks.