Debre Birhan University

School of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Characteristics of Road and Road Users

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 Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to

 Understand the relevant characteristics of the main

components of the highway mode

 demonstrates their importance and their use in the

design and operation of highway facilities.

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 Introduction
 The four main components of the highway mode of transportation are
 Driver
 Pedestrian
 Vehicle
 Road
And also bicycle is an important component in the design of urban
highways and streets.
To provide efficient and safe highway transportation, knowledge of the
characteristics and limitations of each of these components is essential.
 The designer should obtain information on the full range of
limitations (average limitations may not always be adequate)
e.g. sight and hearing ability vary with age and among individual with
same age group

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 Driver Characteristics
One problem that faces traffic and transportation engineers
when they consider driver characteristics in the course of
design are
 varying skills and
 perceptual abilities of drivers (wide range of abilities
to hear, see, evaluate, and react to information)
 These abilities may vary in an individual under different
conditions, such as the influence of alcohol, fatigue, and the
time of day.
 The two driver characteristics of utmost importance are
 Visual acuity factors and
 Perception-reaction process
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 Driver Characteristics (cont’d)
 Visual Characteristics of Drivers
 The driver shall have ability to see small details clearly (Static Visual
Acuity)
Perception-Reaction Process
The process through which a driver, cyclist, or pedestrian evaluates and
reacts to a stimulus can be divided into four sub- processes:
→ Perception: the driver sees a control device, warning sign, or object
on the road
→ Identification: the driver identifies the object or control device and
thus understands the stimulus
→ Emotion: the driver decides what action to take in response to the
stimulus; for example, to step on the brake pedal, to pass, to swerve
(turn sharply to change direction), or to change lanes
→ Reaction or volition: the driver actually executes the action
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decided on during the emotion sub-process
 Driver Characteristics (cont’d)

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 Driver Characteristics (cont’d)

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 Driver Characteristics (cont’d)
 Time elapses during each of these sub-processes is referred to as
PIEV time or (more commonly) as perception-reaction time.
 Perception-reaction time varies among individuals and depend on
 Situation (may be complicated)
 Age (older driver sensory, cognitive, and physical
functioning ability declines)
 Fatigue
 Influence of drugs (e.g. alcohol )
 Expectation (psychology)
 Perception-reaction time varied from 1.26 to over 3 seconds.
 The design value is 2.5 seconds for purpose involving braking
reactions at highway
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 Driver Characteristics (cont’d)

Example:
 A driver with perception/reaction time
of 2.5 seconds is driving at 85 km/h
when he observes an accident has
blocked the road. How far would the
vehicle travel, in m, before being able
to apply the brakes?

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 Pedestrian Characteristics
 Pedestrian characteristics relevant to traffic and highway
engineering practice
 Apart from visual and hearing characteristics, walking
characteristics play a major part in the design of some of these
controls.
The standard walking speed of pedestrian used in timing signals is
4.0 ft/s, with 3.5 ft/s recommended where older pedestrians are
predominant.
 Walking characteristics (group, siding, walking speeds specially at
signal)
pedestrian characteristics may influence the design and location of
pedestrian control devices. Such control devices include special
pedestrian signals, safety zones and islands at intersections,
10 pedestrian underpasses, elevated walkways, and crosswalks.
 Pedestrian Characteristics (cont’d)

 Walking speed

Ped. Prefer Level cross

than grade separated

11 09/25/2021
 Bicyclists And Bicycles Characteristics
 Cyclist is not only the driver of the bicycle, but
he/she also provides the power to move the bicycle.
 Cyclist characteristics
 Perception reaction process (discussed above) is
applied
 Bicycle characteristics
 Unique design speed
20 mi/h-level terrain…31 mi/h-downgrade … <8
mi/h-upgrade

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 Cyclist considered as driver

Cycle lane

13 09/25/2021
 Vehicle Characteristics

 Characteristics of vehicles are the criteria for the

geometric design of highways

 Three types of characteristics are considered:

 Static

 Kinematic

 Dynamic (resistance of air, grade, curve and

rolling )
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 Vehicle Characteristics
 Static characteristics of vehicle include:

 Size of the design vehicle – to determine several

physical components of the highway (e.g. lane and

shoulder width)
 Weights of the vehicles – to determine pavement

depths and maximum grades

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 Vehicle Characteristics (cont’d)
Table: Vehicle lengths by type and maximum weight of vehicle

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 Four general classes of vehicles:
 Passenger cars­ all passenger
cars, SUVs, minivans, vans,
and pickup trucks.
 Buses- intercity motor
coaches, transit buses, school
buses, and articulated buses
 Trucks- single-unit trucks,
tractor-trailer, and tractor-
semi-trailer combination
vehicles
 Recreational vehicles- motor
homes, cars with various
types of trailers (boat,
campers, motorcycles, etc.)

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 Vehicle Characteristics

Kinematic vehicle characteristics include:

– Acceleration capability of vehicle - important in
passing maneuvers and gap acceptance
– Braking and deceleration capability of vehicle -
…passing…
– Low-speed turning characteristics (≤ 16 km/h)- to
provide min. radius
– High-speed turning characteristics – to provide
min. radius by superelevation
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 Road Characteristics
The characteristics of the highway more direct related

to the characteristics of the driver and the vehicle are:

– Stopping- avoid restriction (object, vertical curve,

…)
– Passing – to maneuver easily without colliding

 Sight Distance - is the length of the roadway a driver can

see ahead at any particular time. The two types of sight

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distance
 Road Characteristics
 SSD - is the minimum sight distance required for a

driver to stop a vehicle after seeing an object in the

vehicle’s path without hitting that object.
 PSD - is the minimum sight distance required on a

two-lane, two-way highway that will permit a driver

to complete a passing maneuver without colliding
with an opposing vehicle and without cutting off the
20 passed vehicle.
 Road Characteristics (cont’d)

The clear distance should be greater than SSD

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 Road Characteristics (cont’d)

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 Assignment 1
Discuss perception-reaction time and the

factors affecting PIEV. (Driver, cyclists and

pedestrian)

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