Trajectory-based traffic observation of cooperation at a road narrowing. Implications for autonomous driving

Abstract

Understanding human interactions in today’s transportation system is a prerequisite for developing wellaccepted cooperatively interacting autonomous vehicles. This paper is devoted to the two-sided narrow passage scenario and uses trajectory data to investigate drivers’ interaction behavior when encountering each other from opposite directions. Trajectory data of 209 encounters at a road narrowing were analyzed in terms of drivers’ approaching behavior and arrival order. The exploratory analysis has shown that in this specific location an informal traffic rule has developed: It was not the order of arrival but the direction of travel that primarily determined who passed the road narrowing first. This result shows that informal rules can influence drivers’ interaction behavior and should accordingly be considered in the development of autonomous vehicles to ensure safe and efficient encounters with human road users.