COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM

Primary components of the traffic system:

Road users (drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, passengers)

Vehicles (passengers cars, trucks, heavy vehicles, buses)

Streets and Highways (horizontal and vertical alignment)

Traffic control devices, traffic management

The general environment

Notice:
The general environment has an impact on traffic operations but it is difficult to estimate.

Traffic engineers have little control over driver and vehicle characteristics, design of roadway systems
and traffic controls is in the core of their professional practice
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
involved - drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, passengers
bicyclists

pedestrians

drivers

passengers
HUMANS
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
HUMANS FROM THE POINT OF
VIEW OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
- Active part or traffic system
- Human response is a major component of
planning and design of transportation
systems
- Human beings have a wide range of
characteristics that influence the driving task
(vision, reaction time, hearing, physical strenght,
personality)
- A major task is to find how to give drivers right
informations in a clear and effective way with
proper responses
- Engineering designs generally accommodate the
abilities of 85% of users
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
HUMANS FROM THE POINT OF
VIEW OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
Which characteristics of drivers are most
important in transportation?

VISION and REACTION TIME

Notice:
There are other important characteristic – hearing (i.e. horns, sirens),
physical strenght (steering, braking – not actual in passengers cars),
personality or psychology of the driver (very difficult to quantify)
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
VISUAL FACTORS
a. Visual acuity
(is the ability to see fine details of an object)

static (observation of stationary objects)

FIELDS OF VISION
- depends on brightness
- increases with an increase in illumination
- depends on contrast
- time of focus (0.5 to 1.0 second)

dynamic (detection of moving objects):

- clear vision cone 3 to 10°
- fairly clear vision cone 10 to 12°
- peripheral vision is the ability of people to
see objects beyond the cone of clearest vision
(160 °). Can see objects but no details and
color are clear.
AFFECTS:
PLACING OF TRAFFIC SIGNS (places, height, distances, design),
SPEED ESTIMATION (important for pedestrians on pedestrian crossings or drivers within iintersections)
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
VISUAL FACTORS
b. Color vision:
(the ability to determine one color from another)
- Color blindness is the deficiency of this ability
- The eye is more sensitive to the combinations of black and white and black and
yellow
c. Glare recovery:
(the ability of a person to recover from the effects of glare after passing the light source)
- From dark to light: 3 sec and from light to dark: 6 sec

d. Depth perception:
(the ability of a person to estimate speed and distance)
- Very important for passing maneuvers in two-lane roads
- Traffic control devices are standardized to aid in distance estimation
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
VISUAL FACTORS
OTHER VISUAL FACTORS
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
VISUAL FACTORS

1. 6.
7.
All of above factors can affect most
drivers at particular time. Than
2. drivers have reduced perception of
the roadway.
It is important to provide drivers
with as many clues as possible as
3. to what lies ahead of them. This is
critical for geometric elements –
4. drivers should never be suddenly
5. faced with the unexpected.
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
REACTION TIME OF THE DRIVERS
(PRT – PERCEPTION REACTION TIME)

REACTION TIME INVOLVE 4 PHASES:

Detection – object enters the driver´s field of vision
Identificaion – driver acquires information about object
Decision – driver analyzes the information about object
Response – physical reaction of the driver

Design values: 1,5 s – 2,5 s (which involves braking reactions)

COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
REACTION TIME OF THE DRIVERS
FACTORS AFFECTING THIS PROCESS

 Environment: Urban vs. Rural, Night vs. Day, and Wet vs. Dry
 Age
 Physical Condition: Fatigue and Drugs/Alcohol
 Medical condition
 Visual acuity
 Ability to see (lighting conditions, presence of fog, snow, etc)
 Complexity of situation (more complex = more time)
 Expectancy: drivers will react more quickly to situations they
expect to encounter as opposed to those that they do not expect
to encounter
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
REACTION TIME OF THE DRIVERS
Median Driver Reaction Time to Expected 85th-Percentile Driver Reaction Time to
and Unexpected Information Expected and Unexpected Information
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEDESTRIANS
Most of interactions between pedestrians and vehicles occur as pedestrians cross the
roads at intersections or mid – block locations.
WALKING SPEEDS
Pedestrian walking speed in pedestrian crossing is the most important factor in the
consideration of pedestrians in SIGNAL TIMING.
Note that traffic lights are designed not only to allowed vehicles to pass through the
intersection but also to allowed pedestrian to cross.
Desing values could vary from 1 – 1,5 m/s.
15 m

Walking speed = 1,5 m/sec

Total time to cross the street =?
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
ROAD USERS
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEDESTRIANS
GAP ACCEPTANCE OD THE PEDESTRIANS
Time intervals between vehicles arriving to the unsignalized pedestrian crossing
and the behaviour of pedestrians in accepting them to cross through.

Desing values could vary from 35 – 50 m.

Note: a traffic light is designed not only to aloud vehicles to

pass through the intersection but also to aloud
pedestrian to cross.

If no gap is available within an intersection or on

street then alternatives arrangements such as
pedestrian signals may be considered.
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
involved – passengers cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles,
bicycles – ALL TYPES OF VEHICLES
DESIGN VEHICLE
Design vehicles are used for setting up turning roadways, intersection curbs and lane
widths.

Desing vehicle is the largest vehicle which could

operate on designed roadway.
and has three basic characteristics:
- Static characteristics:
- Weight
- Size
- Turning radius
- Kinematic characteristics:
- Acceleration
- Dynamic characteristics:
- Power/weight ratios
- Braking Distance
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
STATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
SIZE, WEIGHT
This characteristics depends on legislation in
each country (max sizes and weights of
vehicles)

Usually are vehicles divided into three or

four main categories:
- Passenger cars
- Buses
- Trucks
- (special vehicles)
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
STATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
SIZE, WEIGHT

AASHTO - US
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
STATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
SIZE, WEIGHT

CZECH
STANDARD
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
STATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
TURNING CHARACTERISTICS
LOW SPEED
- NEEDED FOR ESTIMATING THE MINIMUM TURNING RADIUS
- Low – speed turns are limited by the steering mechanism in vehicles
- speeds below 30 km/h

HIGH SPEED
- NEEDED FOR ESTIMATING THE MINIMUM CURVE RADIUS
- High – speed turns are limited by the dynamics of side friction between roadway
and tires, and by the superelevation
- speeds above 30 km/h

DISCOVER AUTOTURN
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
STATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
TURNING CHARACTERISTICS
Minimum Turning Paths of Design Vehicles
The principal dimensions affecting design are: the minimum centerline turning radius
(CTR), the out-to-out track width, the wheelbase, and the path of the inner rear tire
(effects of driver characteristics such as the speed at which the driver makes a turn and of
the slip angles of wheels are minimized by assuming that the speed of the vehicle for the
minimum turning radius is less than 15 km/h [10 mph]).
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
KINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
BRAKING AND DECELERATION, ACCELERATION
Critical characteristic – express the ability of the vihicle to stop or decelerate
deceleration considered
Basic equation: 2
V as 1,7 - 2 m/s2
D  n , acceleration considered
B 2a as 1,2 m/s2
Derived equation:
Vn or (Vi – Vf)
DB=
where: vn is design speed [km/h], vi is initial speed and vf is final speed [km/h],
gn is normal gravitational acceleration 9,81 m/s2, a is acceleration rate m/s2
fv is breaking force coefficient (wet pavement, tire profile 1,6 mm),
s is longitudinal slope [%],
DB is breaking distance,
vn km/h 130 120 110 90 80 70 60 50 40 30

fv 0,32 0,34 0,36 0,40 0,43 0,46 0,51 0,56 0,62 0,68
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
VEHICLES
KINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLES
BRAKING AND DECELERATION, ACCELERATION
Acceleration and deceleration rates of vehicles are often critical parameters in
determining highway design. These rates often govern the dimensions of such
design features as intersections, freeway ramps, climbing or passing lanes, and
turnout bays for buses.

For lower performance vehicles

 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
DEFINITION OF ROADS:
Roads, streets and motorways are
materially demarcated traffic connections,
designed previously for nonrail means of
transport, eventually for passenger
movement.
Divided roads: Undivided roads:

WHAT IS FUNCTION OF ROADS?

COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
FUNCTION OF ROADS

Road
Functions
Mobility

Accessibility
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
DIVISION OF ROADS (GENERALLY)
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
TYPICAL REPRESENTATIVES

Representative rural Representative of two lane

freeway (highway, rural road
motorway, freeway –
different term in
USA, EU and CR)
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
TYPICAL REPRESENTATIVES

Urban communication
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

- traffic signs – horizontal marking

- traffic signs – vertical signs
- traffic control devices
- other restrictions
 COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
An intelligent transportation system (ITS) is an advanced
application which aims to provide innovative services
relating to different modes of transport and traffic
management and enable users to be better informed and
make safer, more coordinated, and 'smarter' use of
transport networks.
Some of these technologies include calling for emergency services when an
accident occurs, using cameras to enforce traffic laws or signs that mark speed
limit changes depending on conditions.
Included: wireless communications, computational technologies, floating car
data/floating cellular data, sensing, inductive loop detection, video vehicle detection,
bluetooth detection, radar detection, emergency vehicle notification systems,
automatic road enforcement, variable speed limits, collision avoidance systems,
cooperative systems on the road, smart transportationp, payments and billing
flexibility
COMPONENTS OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM
GENERAL ENVIRONMENT

FORREST VILLAGE vs CITY

vs DESERT