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Effect of Roadside Vegetation on Driver Behavior

Parwathaneni, Rajiv
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481555419869409

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Cleveland State University, Washkewicz College of Engineering.
There is a strong argument for removing trees from the side of the road and keeping the area clear. This clear zone provides drivers, who have inadvertently driven off the road, the opportunity to regain control of their vehicle. The counterargument is that trees themselves can help to prevent accidents. For instance, well spaced trees might improve driver comfort by providing relief from the sun and wind. Trees can also help prevent snow drifting. Trees reduce storm water runoff and soil erosion, both of which can contribute to the degradation of the roadway structure. Pedestrians also benefit from roadside trees as they provide shade, windbreaks, visual buffers, and even physical protection from run-off-the-road vehicles. The Highway Capacity Manual recognizes that drivers change their speed depending upon the amount of clearance provided between the edge of the pavement and the nearest obstruction, also referred to as the lateral clearance distance. As this distance decreases, drivers are expected to reduce their travel speed. In driving simulators, participants have been observed to not only slow down but to move toward the center of the roadway when the lateral clearance to an obstruction (e.g. tree, guardrail) is reduced. What is not understood is whether the characteristics of the obstruction itself impacts driver behavior. The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether the change in driver behavior differs based on the height of the obstruction. A driving simulation study was designed as a 2x2 factorial experiment to test the effect of the location and height of roadside vegetation on the speed and lane position of drivers. A driving scenario was developed which simulated a 2-lane rural road with a speed limit of 55 mph. Four, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long segments of the road, were programmed to collect driver behavior data under the four experimental conditions. In segment 1, a continuous series of 9 m (30 ft) tall trees was placed adjacent to the outer lane lines along both sides of the road. Similarly, in segment 2, a continuous series of 1 m (3.3 ft) tall hedges were placed. Likewise, in segments 3 and 4, trees and hedges respectively were placed 1.8 m (3.0 ft) from the outer lane line. Forty-one participants drove the scenario, each experiencing all four experimental conditions, however the ordering of the segments was counterbalanced to control for any time series effects. The participants drove one segment as practice, followed by four experimental segments. The velocity and lane position of the simulator vehicle was recorded during each of the segments. The average velocity and lane position values were calculated for each segment. Analysis of variance tests indicated that the location and height of the vegetation did not impact the mean velocity. However, the tests indicated that the position of the simulator vehicle in the lane changed based on the location of the vegetation. When the vegetation was placed adjacent to the outer lane line, drivers moved toward the center of the roadway. The impact of the height of the vegetation on the lane position was not significant.
Jacqueline Jenkins, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Norbert Delatte, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Mehdi Jalalpour, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Transportation

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Citations

  • Parwathaneni, R. (2016). Effect of Roadside Vegetation on Driver Behavior [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481555419869409

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Parwathaneni, Rajiv. Effect of Roadside Vegetation on Driver Behavior. 2016. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481555419869409.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Parwathaneni, Rajiv. "Effect of Roadside Vegetation on Driver Behavior." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1481555419869409

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.