A simulation model has been developed to evaluate traffic flow and safety benefits arising from use of remedial devices which would aid passing manoeuvres on two-lane rural roads. Inputs to the model are arbitrary and consist of road configuration data, vehicle data, traffic volumes, and passing probability data. The out-put statistics can be used to determine the relative benefits of alternative remedial aid systems in terms of safety and throughput. Initially the effects of no-passing zone configurations due to road geometry and knowledge of oncoming car speed on tangents were investigated. The results show that no-passing zones cause a marked decrease in throughput, while oncoming car speed information appears to have a beneficial effect on safety. Additional runs will be made to study the effects of other passing rules on traffic flow and safety. /author/.
Abstract