5/17/23, 9:19 PM Acceleration Characteristics of Starting Vehicles - Gary Long, 2000

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

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Abstract
Acceleration characteristics of starting vehicles are needed for many transportation analysis
and design purposes involving driveways, turning bays, intersecting streets, traffic signals,
railroad crossings, simulation software, and so forth. Constant acceleration is sometimes
assumed, or AASHTO Green Book values based on piecewise-constant accelerations are
sometimes adopted. However, continuing research has shown that linearly decreasing
acceleration rates better represent both maximum vehicle acceleration capabilities and
actual motorist behavior. It is not acceleration that usually is constant during speed changes;
it is the rate of change in acceleration. The evolution of AASHTO acceleration values for
design is traced, and the literature is reviewed for pertinent field observations. Linearly
decreasing acceleration (and some deceleration) model parameters are calibrated for
various sets of observational and design data. Despite published results from thousands of
field measurements, the values selected for design were found to be based mostly on
vehicle performance capabilities, with conjecture about how many of these capabilities are
normally used by drivers. Design accelerations were found to deviate substantially from
observed accelerations. At the start of motion, observed accelerations were about 15
percent faster for passenger cars and 45 percent faster for SU (single unit) trucks than
design accelerations. As speed increased, observed accelerations dropped three to four
times faster than design accelerations for these vehicles. Observed accelerations for WB-15
trucks began 40 percent to 75 percent slower than design accelerations, and they were
considerably slower than the values in the Green Book for trucks at railroad crossings. Voids
in the available information base are identified. Linearly decreasing design acceleration rates
for motorists operating different classes of vehicles in different design situations are
recommended, and revisions for Green Book parameters
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5/17/23, 9:19 PM Acceleration Characteristics of Starting Vehicles - Gary Long, 2000

recommended acceleration model greatly simplifies acceleration parameters but implies

using different acceleration relationships for different design speeds instead of one for all.

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