The increasing traffic demand on Dutch motorways calls for more rigourous control than is currently available. Controlling criteria are needed in order to develop control systems that can cope with these conditions and can meanwhile maintain an acceptable safety level. Criteria are needed that provide more detailed information about traffic conditions than the current `classical' parameters. This study produced the development of a first attempt at such a criterion. It is based upon a simple theory concerning traffic behaviour. The criterion can easily be calculated from data of standard monitoring equipment. The report contains the basic theoretical considerations and examples of application of the application of the criterion to measurement data taken from both motorways and rural roads.
Abstract