Characteristics of vehicle detector at signalized intersections

In Japan, road traffic signal control patterns are switched over based on information from detectors. These detectors measure traffic occupancy and traffic volume, and a signal controller determines whether the traffic situation is light or heavy based on these values. Although many decision rules have been established in stationary conditions, it is difficult to apply these rules to non-stationary conditions because vehicle movements are strongly influenced by traffic signals, such as stopping and starting in these conditions. As a result, the decisions are made by an experienced person or by trial and error. In this paper, we quantitatively clarify the relationship between the distance from the detectors to the traffic signals and the detector patterns, as the first step to establish a set of decision rules