Use of gps data for the analysis of vehicular interaction models

The present paper deals with the study of drivers’ behavior at individual level when interactions affect vehicle movements in several urban traffic conditions. Main objectives of the research, which is still on progress, are the investigation of the 2-car following behavior, even in a non consecutive scheme, through the assessment of existing well-known models and searching for possible alternative formulations, as well as the analysis of platoon departures at signals in order to deduce useful information to improve usual calibration of macroscopic models. Such an analysis has been performed utilizing data gathered in a series of experiments involving vehicles equipped with differential high frequency sampling GPS devices and aiming at studying drivers’ behavior in several urban traffic conditions. Preliminary promising results obtained for the calibration and validation of car following models encourage in proceeding along these research directions.