• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.36-47
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of the shoulder-use lane, which is a representative traffic management technique that increases the road capacity. The operation of the shoulder-use lane has been actively used as a countermeasure to improve traffic congestion, because it has the effect of improving traffic flow during rush hour. In Korea, the shoulder-use lanes are available at Gyeongbu, Yeongdong, and on the Seoul Outer Ring expressway, and their use is gradually increasing. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to analyze the effects of the shoulder-use lane; including 1) analysis of individual shoulder lanes based on a time space diagram, and 2) analysis of shoulder lanes by road axis. These findings can contribute to the efficient installation and operation of shoulder-use lanes on expressways.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.87-94
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• 2016

PURPOSES : This study analyzed the lane-by-lane traffic flow characteristics in Korea by using real-world data, including congestion levels, for 2-, 3-, and 4-lane freeways. METHODS : On the basis of a literature review, lane flow and speed characteristics were analyzed using flow measurements and speed ratios. In addition, the effect of congestion levels on traffic flow were visualized using rescaled cumulative plots. RESULTS : Driver behavior varied depending on the congestion level. During free-flow conditions, the lane-use ratio of individual lanes varied largely, whereas during congestion, the ratio was nearly the same for all lanes (i.e., equilibrium). During maximum-flow and congestion conditions, the median lane was used more than the shoulder lane, whereas during all other conditions, the shoulder lane had a higher lane-use ratio. In 3- or 4-lane freeways, the lane-use ratio of the median lane always exceeded 1 and was the highest during free-flow conditions. CONCLUSIONS : The results of the present analysis can be used as an index to predict congestion before a lane is overcapacitated. Moreover, the results can be applied in variable lane guidance systems, such as car navigation systems and variable message displays, to control traffic flow.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.119-127
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• 2012

For traffic safety, it is imperative for motorists to secure their clear view and to maintain a similar speed with others while driving in a lane. Large-sized vehicles at lower speeds, however, are likely to increase the risk of accident when they share a lane with cars. Although to overcome this complication the Korean Road Traffic Act established rules for the safe use of roads, the reality is that the rules are seldom observed strictly. In this light, this study was designed to analyze the severity of truck-involved accidents, thereby providing justification for the need of truck-designated lanes and thus contributing to measuring road safety more precisely. A binomial logistic regression model was applied to analyze the severity of truck-involved accidents. The analysis showed that several variables affect the severity of truck-involved accidents on freeways; i.e., violation against the rule of truck-designated lanes, weather, difference between daytime and nighttime, and parking on road shoulder. Moreover, the strong enforcement will be needed to make motorists observe the rule, because a Wald statistical test showed that the violation against the rule of truck-designated lanes has the largest influence on the severity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.662-674
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• 2014

In this study, accident frequency prediction models were constructed by collecting variables such as geometric structures, safety facilities, traffic volume and weather conditions, land use, highway design-satisfaction criteria along 780km (4,372 sections) of 4 lane-highways over 8 areas. As for models, a fixed parameter model and a random parameter model were employed. In the random parameter model, some influences were reversed as the range was expressed based on specific probability in the case of no fixed coefficients. In the fixed parameter model, the influences of independent variables on accident frequency were interpreted by using one coefficient, but in the random parameter model, more various interpretations were took place. In particular, curve radius, securement of shoulder lane, vertical grade design criteria satisfaction showed both positive and negative influence, according to specific probability. This means that there could be a reverse effect depending on the behavioral characteristics of drivers and the characteristics of highway sections. Rather, they influence the increase of accident frequency through the all sections.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.47-56
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• 2008

Generally, accident exposure at intersections is relatively higher than that at roadway segments due to more possibility of merging, diverging, turning, crossing, and weaving maneuver. Furthermore, the traffic accident rate at intersections has been rapidly increasing since 1990's. Since there is more opportunity of conflict at unsignalized intersection, frequency and severity of traffic accident are more severe than signalized intersections. The purpose of the study is to analyze factors causing vehicle crashes and provide intersection design guidelines to improve intersection safety. For this study, vehicle to vehicle crash data of 116 rural 3 legs unsignalized were collected and field surveys were conducted for traffic and geometric conditions. Ordered probit models were developed to analyze the severity of crashes. It was found that weather, obstacles in minor roadsides, presence of major exclusive right lane, presence of major road crosswalk, difference between posted speed of major road and minor road, land-use around intersections, shoulder width of major road, ADT of major road are significant factors for intersection safety.