Influence of Mobile Work Zone Barriers on Driver Behavior on Freeways: A Driving Simulator Study

A work zone crash occurred once every 5.4 minutes in the United States in 2015, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This study investigated the impact of work zone barriers (cone pylons, concrete jersey barriers, and metal barriers) on driver behavior on a freeway using a medium-fidelity full-scale driving simulator. Traffic volumes were based on level of service (LOS) C in which 65 individuals participated in the study. A single factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between mean vehicle speeds across all barriers as well as mean vehicle speeds across metal barriers for age groups 35 and above versus other age groups. An interesting observation was that drivers tend to deviate from the center of the lane, away from concrete jersey barriers on a freeway which is in complete contrast to driver behavior on an arterial road, based on a prior study.