A Driving Simulator Evaluation of Cross-Sectional Design Elements and the Resulting Driving Behaviors

Gongalla, Bhavana; Fitzpatrick, Cole D.; Knodler Jr., Michael A.; Christofa, Eleni; Samuel, Siby · 2017 · ROSA P / Safety Research Using Simulation (SAFER-SIM) University Transportation Center

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Summary

This study investigates the impact of specific roadway cross-sectional design elements on driver behavior, specifically vehicle speed and lateral positioning. Motivated by rising traffic fatalities and the need to understand how geometric features influence safety, the research addresses a gap in literature regarding the direct effects of design treatments like lane width, bicycle lanes, and medians on driver performance. The primary objective was to determine if these elements effectively reduce speeds or alter lane positioning, which are critical factors in crash risk. The researchers employed a within-subjects experimental design using a fixed-base driving simulator at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Twenty participants drove through five distinct scenarios modeled on a 1.5-mile collector-type roadway. The base scenario featured 14-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders. This was compared against four modified designs: narrower 12-foot lanes with 6-foot shoulders; 14-foot lanes with added bicycle lanes and buffer zones; 14-foot lanes with a 6-foot raised center median; and a curvilinear roadway profile. Data on speed and lateral position were collected at five checkpoints along each route. Statistical analysis, including paired t-tests, was used to compare performance metrics across the scenarios. The results indicated that participants exceeded the posted speed limit in all scenarios except the curvilinear profile. There were no statistically significant differences in mean speeds between the base scenario, the narrower lane scenario, the bicycle lane scenario, or the raised median scenario. However, the curvilinear profile significantly reduced speeds, with participants averaging approximately 10 mph lower than in the base scenario. Regarding lateral positioning, drivers in the narrower lane scenario shifted significantly closer to the centerline compared to the base scenario. In contrast, the presence of bicycle lanes or a raised median did not significantly influence lateral positioning or speed reduction relative to the base design. Drivers tended to position their vehicles closer to the edge line in wider lane scenarios. The study concludes that narrower lanes are more effective than bicycle lanes or raised medians at influencing both speed selection and lateral positioning, though their effect on speed reduction was not statistically significant in this specific experimental context. Curvilinear roadways proved most effective at lowering speeds. The findings suggest that simply adding bicycle lanes or medians to wide lanes does not inherently constrain driver behavior or reduce speeds. These results have implications for transportation planners, indicating that lane narrowing may be a more potent tool for managing driver behavior than other common cross-sectional treatments, although geometric constraints often limit the use of curved profiles.

Key finding

Curved roadway profiles significantly reduced driver speeds compared to straight designs, while narrower lanes caused drivers to position their vehicles closer to the centerline without significantly altering speed.

Methodology

simulator

Sample size: 20

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• perceptual countermeasures
• road geometry
• lane positioning
• work zones
• urban rural setting
• rail grade crossings

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data, observational prevalence
• Methodological Resource: tool software