An Empirical Study on the Influence of on-Road Static Obstacles on Driver Behaviour

Understanding the influence of static obstacles on driver behaviour is important because drivers’ instinctual reactions may pose serious hazards to safety and mobility. The effects of road geometry, roadside infrastructure and static objects near the road on driver behaviour have been studied extensively. However, no studies discuss the influence of two variables that are to likely to affect driver behaviour: obstacle size (width and length) and the side on which the static obstacle is present (driver’s side or passenger’s side). Controlled experiments were conducted using an instrumented vehicle to collect instantaneous driver behaviour data in the presence of on-road static obstacles. The results show that the side on which the obstacle is present influences the lateral gap. The results also show that obstacle size, both in terms of width and length, affects driving speed and the lateral gap. The results of this study can aid in the analysis of safety and mobility issues related to partial lane closures, stopped vehicles and similar obstacles.