Psychological elements in car-following models: Mental workload in case of incidents in the other driving lane

Estimations of parameter values of car-following models show considerable differences between individuals and experiments. These differences may be caused by a different effect of external circumstances on mental workload of drivers. This effect may especially play a considerable role in case of driving under adverse conditions (e.g. evacuations, adverse weather conditions, road works and incidents on the freeway). These adverse conditions have shown to have a substantial impact on traffic flow operations. In this regard a driving simulator experiment was performed as to what extent an incident in the other driving lane influences physiological indicators as well as subjective estimates of mental workload as well as longitudinal driving behavior. Also was investigated whether current car-following models, represented by the Intelligent Driver Model and the Helly model, adequately incorporate longitudinal driving behavior under these circumstances using a calibration approach for joint estimation. From the results followed that perception of incidents in the other driving lane lead to significant changes in physiological indicators of mental workload as well as in longitudinal driving behavior. Through the estimation approach was indicated that the Intelligent Driver Model as well as the Helly model how show substantial changes in parameter values as well as that these models less adequately incorporate longitudinal driving behavior in case of incidents in the other driving lane