The Effect of the Provision of Information on Driver Psychology and Driving Behavior toward the Establishment of Zipper Merging during Congestion due to Lane Restrictions

Abstract

The frequent traffic congestions will occur due to the lane restrictions for the reconstruction works in the aging expressways. The zipper merging was proposed at this occasion as merging method to improve traffic condition. In order to establish zipper merging at the lane regulation, it is necessary to provide drivers with appropriate information on zipper merging to reduce the mental load and to improve their awareness of cooperation with zipper merging. In this study, we created a driving simulator that reproduce zipper merging with road signs, and verified changes in the mental and behavior of the drivers in the merging section based on the information content. We obtained the result that the mental load on the drivers was reduced and the cooperation for zipper merging was improved and that zipper merging was expected to be safer and smoother by teaching the actions that should be taken in the driving lane and the actions that would be taken by the drivers in the adjacent lane.