Driving Risk Affected Areas and Distribution Function of Sharp Horizontal Curves of Expressway

Abstract EN

The average death and injury intensity on sharp horizontal curves (SHCs) are much higher than those of straight sections of the expressway in China.

In this paper, the statistics of crashes from 2008 to 2012 on 2200 km expressways in Guangdong province are collected, and the relationships between the radius of plane curves and the crash rate are analyzed.

After that, the curved expressway section with radius equal to or less than 1000 m is defined as SHCs.

According to the results of the test of the operating speed, the heart rate change of drivers, and the vehicle acceleration, the distribution patterns of driving risks on the certain SHCs were theoretically analyzed.

Hence, the driving risk affected areas on adjacent line units of SHCs are determined as 200 m sections before entering or after exiting the SHCs.

Combining with surveyed data, the spatial distribution of crashes on SHCs is analyzed, and the driving risk distribution function of SHCs in expressway is finally deduced.

The result of this research provides a theoretical basis to enhance expressway safety management and to improve the driving safety on SHCs.