Edinburgh Napier University

  Purpose: Both a lack of understanding of the issues for following headway behaviour of the driver and a lack of sufficient data in different traffic condition have been major reasons to attempt this research study. This paper attempts to address hypotheses of effect of lead vehicle on following headway by measuring following headway in as wide a variety of conditions as possible on roads.

Design/methodology/approach: The study has been carried out from real world data collected through video and instrumented vehicle using Video V Box and to examine in detail hypothesis.

Findings: Results provide an overview of the impact of this study in particular, on driver following under (i) The level of traffic flow that affects driver behaviour in terms of time headway (ii) Driver following behaviour in terms of time headway varies with road characteristics (iii) Driver following behaviour is affected by the type of lead vehicle. (iv)Drivers are inconsistent in their choice of headway.

Research limitations/implications: The research conducted in this study is related to typical north- east region of India where traffic flow is relative low and different mix so further research should carried out in different part of India to generalise the problem.

Practical implications: Contribute to an understanding of how lead vehicles might influence gap maintenance behaviour in mixed traffic condition.

Social implications: Results will help in reduction of accident and increasing safety policy for drivers.

Originality/value: Under mixed traffic condition, the following lead vehicle by driver affect the safety of driver and to account for such behaviour remains unknown for simulation modeller and intelligent transport systems (ITS) to design and operate many in-vehicle systems for smooth traffic processes