Study of Lane-Changing Operations for Varying Traffic Conditions on Six Lane and Four Lane Configurations on Indian Highways

Lane changing is a crucial driving manoeuvre on highways and a major cause of road crashes. Drivers frequently change lanes due to factors like slow-moving vehicles, overtaking, merging, and avoiding road closures. Lane changes are categorized as mandatory (due to rules or conditions) or discretionary (based on personal choice and driving style) lane changes. Current studies on lane-changing behaviour are limited compared to longitudinal driving studies and hence, this research tries to examine how the phenomenon of lane-changing occurs with different flow conditions described by the Level of Service (LOS) for Indian highways. For the present study, video footage from a six-lane divided highway mid-block section is used. An attempt is made to study the correlation between different LOS conditions and lane changes. It is found that lane changes follow a polynomial equation with LOS. By understanding lane changing in the context of Indian road conditions, the research aims to provide a better understanding of microscopic driving behaviour specific to Indian driving environments and provide better insights to improve road design, traffic regulations, and safety measures.