• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.211-218
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• 2012

Two experiment are planed to identify driver's safe driving behaviour by curve radius, road surface condition in curve section. At four-lane and two-lane road, conducted experiments are check on driver's feeling of safety that 30 subjects do not feel discomfort. And using the data from these experiments, this study compare physical speed (not slipping, fall our of the road) with safety driving speed(drivers felt a comfortable and safe speed) each curve radius and fiver road surface condition(drying, wet, rain, snow and ice). As a result, safe driving behaviour factors that are derived to curve radius of 100m units, five road surface conditions enable to represent quantitative analysis of driver's discomfort. This study will develop road design method and evaluation reflected ergonomic aspects.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4D
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• pp.395-402
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• 2010

The seriousness of a traffic accident appears relatively higher on the curve sections compared with the straight sections due to a change in speed caused by a change in the driver's sight. In particular, the visual distortion phenomenon, one of the dangerous factors taking place on the curve sections, appears different according to the road's geometric design. Although it is a genuinely principal design factor which should be necessarily considered in designing a road, the previous researches on establishing the design standards for it have been insufficiently conducted. As a result, the establishment of the road design standards for the curve sections considering the sight distortion phenomenon is desperately required. This research examined the previous researches on the driver's behaviors, the driver's sight characteristics and the perceived curve radius on the curve sections, and developed the theoretical model of perceived curve radius to which a mathematical technique is applied in consideration of the visual distortion phenomenon on the two-lane curve sections in a local area. In addition, after the theoretical visual distortion was calculated on the basis of the theoretical model of perceived curve radius, the range of error on the theoretical recognition radius model formula was verified through comparing it with the previous researches' experiential visual distortion level and analyzing both of them. As a result, it was observed that as the curve radius practically increases in the theoretical recognition curve radius, the range of error tends to go down, which reflects well the characteristics of the curve sections on the road. Based on this research, it is expected that this research will be helpful to eliminate the safety defects when designing the curve sections and contribute to develop the road design standards considering human factors in the future.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2008

Achieving consistent geometric design is an important goal in highway design to ensure obtaining safe, economical and smooth traffic operation. Most evaluation of consistency is based on 'speed change' in speed profile. According to literature, the speed depends on geometric elements, speed on tangent section prior to a curve, and background around roads. Especially, the radius is the most main element mentioned in various literature. Therefore, this paper shows two ways of calculating horizontal radius on real road, that is, three-dimensional road. First of all, the radius of horizontal curve is calculated based on physical method. The calculated radius contains not only superelevation but also longitudinal grade while the current minimum radius is calculated by considering superelevation and side friction according to the point-mass equation. Secondly, the problem of composed curves with distorted appearance by overlaying sag or crest vertical alignment has been known. To quantify the extent of distortion effects, the method of calculation of real seen so called 'Perspective Radius' is developed. The paper presents the perspective radius and recommended perspective radius.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.115-122
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• 2015

PURPOSES: Recently, many local governments have applied chicanes for traffic calming to ensure environment-friendly comfortable and safe roads. However, the geometry of a chicane is designed for speed reduction using a curved portion. This study aims to improve the road geometry conditions of chicanes for reducing carbon emissions and maintaining appropriate driving speeds by considering the relationship between road geometry and carbon emissions. METHODS: This study was conducted as follows. First, carbon emissions corresponding to changing acceleration of vehicles were studied. Second, vehicle acceleration caused by the relationship between the curve radius and the straight length was studied. Accordingly, desirable conditions of curve radius and length of the straight section for reducing carbon emissions were proposed. RESULTS: The existing literature on chicanes present the minimum value of stagger length and path angle in the primary variable condition. This study suggests the maximum values of the curve radius and length of straight section in the primary variable condition. Therefore, if a vehicle's speed at a chicane is 30 km/h, this study suggests a curve radius of up to 24 m. In addition, if the vehicle's speed is 24 km/h, this study suggests a length of straight section of up to 6.6 m. These are the geometric conditions for considering the control of acceleration to the vehicle's maximum speed. CONCLUSIONS: This paper proposes an application of geometric conditions to reduce carbon emissions and maintain appropriate speeds of vehicles through a combination of curve radius and length of straight section.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.47-56
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• 2015

PURPOSES: The purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of variable message signage (VMS) on traffic safety as a function of road curve radius using statistical methods. METHODS: In order to analyze the impact of VMS installations on traffic safety, travel speed, lateral distance, and geometric data relating to road curvature in each study area was acquired and analyzed for the impact of providing VMS information on driver performance and traffic safety using statistical methods including student t-test, Mann-Whitney test, and the Anderson-Darling test for estimating traffic safety hazard zone in each lane. RESULTS: As a result of analyzing driver performance characteristics before and after providing VMS information, it was determined that by providing VMS information, mean travel speed is deceased and vehicles are driven with increased precision, following the centerline in the first and second lanes. Also the results of analyzing traffic safety impacts of VMS indicate that traffic safety performance factors in the first lane of the Gapyeong section can, on average, increase in the left and right side of the lane by 19.22% and 68.98%, respectively, and in the case of the second lane, safety impacts, on average, can increase in both sides by 100%. For the Hongcheon section, traffic safety impacts in the first lane, on average, can increase along the left and right sides of the lane by 32.31% and 47.18%, and within the second lane, traffic safety can be increased along the left and right side of the lane by 10.97% and -0.01%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, the impact on traffic safety obtained by providing VMS information for road sections with smaller curve radii is greater than can be obtained for road sections with larger curve radii.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.163-171
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• 2017

PURPOSES : Traffic safety facilities are used to prevent traffic accidents before they occur by providing drivers with information on traffic situations and the geometric design of roads. However, some facilities not defined in guidelines do not meet installation criteria, yet are being installed and used in order to increase efficiency in traffic flow and prevent traffic accidents in a specific expressway zone. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of delineation system which are not defined in the guideline criteria. METHODS : Different virtual scenarios were created for roads using expressway median barrier chevron signs, with a driving simulator used to evaluate the installation and operational effect of such signs. Ten experiments were performed with left- and right-curved roads at curve radius intervals of 500 m, from 500 m to 2,500 m. RESULTS : For sections with a curve radius of more than 1,500 m, drivers had a clear tendency toward stable driving regardless of delineation system. When a chevron sign is installed on a protection fence in the road curving left, an expanded installation is recommended up to the section with a curve radius of 1,000 m. According to the analysis results for the RHB (Relative High Beta spectrum), driving concentration also improved up to a curve radius of 1,000 m. CONCLUSIONS :The experiment result indicates the extent of biasing within a lane and the manipulation amount of steering handle, were analyzed and found to be affected by curve radius and road alignment regardless of delineation system.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.173-182
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• 2014

PURPOSES : The purpose of the study is to a) explore the operating speed of trucks on rural highways affected by road geometry, and thereby b) develop a predictive model for the operating speed of trucks on rural highways. METHODS : Considering that most of the existing studies have focused on cars, the current study aimed to predict the operating speed of trucks by conducting linear regression analysis on the speed data of trucks operating on the linear-curved-linear portions of the road as a single set. RESULTS : The operating speed in the plane curve portion increased with the length of the curve, and decreased with a lower vertical grade and a smaller curve radius. In the straight plane portion, the operating speed increased with a larger curve radius(upstream), and decreased with an increase in the change of the vertical grade, depending on the length of the vertical curve. CONCLUSIONS : This study developed estimation models of truck for operational speed and evaluated the degree of safety for horizontal and vertical alignments simultaneous. In order to represent whole area of the rural highway, the models should be ew-analyzed with vast data related with road alignment factor in the near future.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.513-523
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• 1996

This study was a med at predicting running speed related to alignment factors of forest road, and recommending the improvement method of forest road construction using the running speed of vehicles. For these purposes, this study proceeds to select forest roads after reviewing the planning papers and maps, to measure the road alignment factors such as longitudinal gradient, width of roadway, radius of curve, length of curve, superelevation, and conditions of road surface on the subject forest road. It was found that the running speed of vehicle on forest road is mainly influenced by the conditions of road surface, radios of curve, compound gradient, length of curve, longitudinal gradient and so on. The average running speed of cargo truck showed lower value than that of the expected speed of 'Forest Road Construction Regulations and Rules', and the average running speed of loaded truck showed 70-85% of the speed of empty truck. According to the road conditions, the changes of running speed can be expressed mathematically in terms of the increment of radius of curve and longitudinal gradient. The results of the study on the running speed of vehicle subject to the alignment of forest roads make it possible for one to judge the quality of the existing and to be constructed forest roads, to select the structure of forest road to improve the running speed of vehicle on forest road.

• 한국도로학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.25-32
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• 2009

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.84-88
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• 2010

The main point of this study is to find ways to prevent accidents at complex linear sections in advance by improving geometric structure elements that can be considered from the designing stage. Complex linear roads are consisted of sections where straight sections connect with curved sections or sections where curved sections connect with curved sections with relatively high possibility of accidents and accidents can be reduced through improving designing elements in these sections. Therefore, this study aims to develop accident forecasting model in complex linear roads and to clarify major elements affecting traffic accidents. The results of analysis showed that the groups are divided into a group less than 355m based on curve radius of 355m, a group whose curve radius exceeds 355m and a group whose incline exceeds -0.79 and a group whose curve radius is below 355m and incline exceeds -0.79 for straight section + curved section, and for curved section + curved section, it is divided into a group whose first curved section is less than 410m based on curve radius of 410m and the first curve is turning right and a group exceeding 410m and the first curve is turning left. The major variables common in 2 models are front curve radius and curve types(left, right), road surfaces, weather.