Applying preconfigured driving styles

Note: You must have an automotive license.

You can set a driving style for a vehicle that is integrated into the Vissim network either via an external driving simulator interface or by using a DriverModel.dll. The driving style can be adjusted from very comfort-oriented to very aggressive.

Impact of selected driving style on base data and attributes

The chosen driving style affects accelerations, decelerations, gap times, and speeds of the vehicle and surrounding traffic during a simulation run, influencing the driving behavior of all traffic participants within the Vissim network. This results in realistic simulations of individual interactions between traffic participants, though it does not capture the overall behavior of all participants. Depending on the driving style you select, Vissim adjusts the following base data applied during the simulation runs.

Desired acceleration and deceleration

The values for vehicle types such as cars, HGVs, and buses are set by Vissim based on the selected driving style. The functions for desired acceleration and desired deceleration are set to values that correspond to those in the provided file defaults.inpx and are scaled by the following factors: 0.75; 0.875; 1.0; 1.25; 1.5. Maximum accelerations are set to match the desired accelerations. The maximum deceleration is set to-10m/s2 for aggressive driving styles.

Conflict areas

Vissim sets the following attribute values:

Attribute

Very comfort oriented

Comfort oriented

Neutral

Aggressive

Very aggressive

Front gap (default)

0.75

0.6

0.5 (Vissim default value)

0.4

0.35

Rear gap (default)

0.75

0.6

0.5 (Vissim default value)

0.4

0.35

Safety distance factor (default)

1.95

1.7

1.5 (Vissim default value)

1.2

1.05
Speed limitation in curves

If Speed limitation in curves is selected under Network Settings, Vissim adjusts the function values for vehicle types, such as cars, HGVs, and buses, based on the selected driving style. The functions for Speed limitation in curves are set to values matching those in the default file defaults.inpx, scaled by the following factors: 0´.8; 0.9; 1.0; 1.1; 1.2.

Driving Behaviors

Vissim sets the following attribute values for driving behavior with the car following model types Wiedemann 74 or Wiedemann 99:

Attribute

Very comfort oriented

Comfort oriented

Neutral

Aggressive

Very aggressive

Average standstill distance (w74ax)

3

2.5

2 (Vissim default value)

1.75

1.5

Additive part of safety distance (w74bxAdd)

0.3

2.5

2 (Vissim default value)

1.75

1.5

Multiplicative part of safety distance (w74bxMult)

4.5

3.75

3 (Vissim default value)

2.625

2.25

Wiedemann 99 – cc0

2.25

1.875

1.5 (Vissim default value)

1.3125

1.125

Wiedemann 99 – cc1

Vissim generates new time distributions. These contain a descriptive suffix in their names.

Empirical Distribution

Empirical Distribution

normally distributed

Empirical Distribution

Empirical Distribution

x = [0.0 0.9 1.8]

Fx = [0.0 0.0 1.0]

x = [0.0 0.9 1.4]

Fx = [0.0 0.0 1.0]

MV = 0.9

Std = 0.0(standard value Vissim)

x = [0.0 0.75 1.0]

Fx = [0.0 0.0 1.0]

x = [0.0 0.5 1.0]

Fx = [0.0 0.0 1.0])
Driving behavior parameters for driver errors

Attribute

Lack of attention and driver errors (Driving style preconfigured - driver error)

Attentive

Inattentive

Very inattentive

Temporary lack of attention during following - probability

0%

2.5%

5%

Loss of attention during following - duration

-

0.5 s

1 s

Distraction - probability

0%

2.5%

5%

Distraction duration distribution

Vissim generates new distributions These contain a descriptive suffix in their names.

-

normally distributed

Mean 1.0;

Default value 0.25

normally distributed

Mean 1.0;

Default value 0.25

Distraction lane angle distribution

Vissim generates a new distribution. These contain a descriptive suffix in their names.

-

Empirical Distribution

x = [0 0.005]

Fx = [0.0 1.0]

Empirical Distribution

x = [0 0.010]

Fx = [0.0 1.0]

Lateral: Observe lateral behavior

Not selected

Selected

Selected

Speed misestimate distribution

Vissim generates a new distribution. These contain a descriptive suffix in their names.

-

normally distributed

Mean 1.0;

Default value 0.025

normally distributed

Mean 1.0;

Default value 0.05

Conflict area are considered interaction objects

Not selected

Selected

Selected
Lane change behavior

Attribute

Very comfort oriented

Comfort oriented

Neutral

Aggressive

Very aggressive

Safety distance reduction factor:

1.0 0.8 0.6 (Vissim default value) 0.45 0.3
Lane change - duration 5.0 s 4.0 s - 2.5 s 2.0 s
Lane change: accepted deceleration - own

-0.5 m/s2

-0.75 m/s2

-1 m/s2 (Vissim default value)

-3 m/s2

-5 m/s2

Lane change: accepted deceleration - following vehicle

-0.5 m/s2

-0.75 m/s2

-1 m/s2 (Vissim default value)

-3 m/s2

-5 m/s2

Lane change: maximum deceleration - own

-4 m/s2

-4 m/s2

-5 m/s2 (Vissim default value)

-4.5 m/s2

-5 m/s2

Lane change: maximum deceleration - following vehicle

-3 m/s2

-3 m/s^2

-3 m/s2 (Vissim default value)

-4.5 m/s^2

-5 m/s^2
Lane change: To slower lane if collision time is at least

11 s (Vissim default value)

11 s (Vissim default value)

11 s (Vissim default value)

9.25 s

7.5 s
Variation of driving styles in consecutive simulation runs

When you change the driving style in consecutive simulation runs, it will affect the vehicle, the surrounding traffic, and the simulation results accordingly. Evaluating and comparing these simulation runs and their different results helps in demonstrating and assessing the impacts of various driving styles.

If no vehicle inputs are defined for your Vissim network, you can create a simple surrounding traffic scenario where your vehicle will operate during the simulation run (Generating basic surrounding traffic).

Select and apply preconfigured driving style

1.  On the Traffic menu, click > Apply preconfigured driving style.

The window Apply preconfigured driving style opens.

2.  Make the desired changes:

Element Description

Preconfigured driving style

Sets the driving style type applied by the preconfigured driving style function

  • ►  Select the desired entry:
  • Very comfort oriented
  • Comfort oriented
  • Neutral
  • Aggressive: The vehicle encounters more challenging situations than with a neutral driving style for all traffic participants.
  • Very aggressive

Vissim adjusts the values of the following objects based on the selected driving style. The vehicle and surrounding traffic exhibit corresponding behavior during the simulation run.

  • Accelerations and decelerations

  • Gap times and conflict areas

  • Curve speeds

  • Driver Errors

  • Aggressiveness during lane changes, including duration and especially frequency on highways.

  • Gap times

  • Speed distributions

Adjust all speeds

Sets the speed factor used by the function applying the driving style presets. This factor either reduces or increases the speed of every vehicle in the Vissim network during the simulation compared to the standard value of 0 %. At a standard value of 0%, each vehicle operates at the speed calculated by Vissim based on the car following model.

Lack of attention and driver errors

Defines the diver error type set by the function that applies the driving style presets:

  • Attentive: Standard behavior
  • Inattentive: Increases the likelihood of collisions
  • Very inattentive: Significantly raises the likelihood of collisions

Vissim does not simulate collisions. Instead, it increases the probability of vehicles coming into contact with each other during the simulation.

3.  Confirm with OK.

Applied changes include driving style, driver errors, and adjusted speeds.

4.  If needed, save the network under a new name.

5.  Configure your desired evaluations.

6.  Start the simulation (Running a simulation).

7.  Modify driving style settings as needed, restart the simulation, and analyze the results.