Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions

With the increasing integration of conditionally automated Level 3 systems into real-world traffic, concerns about their impact on traffic efficiency and capacity have emerged. When such systems reach their operational limits, mandatory control transitions could disrupt traffic flow and reduce overa...

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Main Authors: Robert Alms, Peter Wagner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Future Transportation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffutr.2025.1600739/full
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author Robert Alms
Peter Wagner
Peter Wagner
author_facet Robert Alms
Peter Wagner
Peter Wagner
author_sort Robert Alms
collection DOAJ
description With the increasing integration of conditionally automated Level 3 systems into real-world traffic, concerns about their impact on traffic efficiency and capacity have emerged. When such systems reach their operational limits, mandatory control transitions could disrupt traffic flow and reduce overall capacity. This study employs large-scale simulations and numerical experiments to analyze these effects and quantify potential capacity constraints. The results of the two-lane highway scenario show an experimental capacity reduction of up to 2000 veh/h in an almost fully automated but unmanaged traffic mix, corresponding to a loss of about 60%. Control transition-related effects become increasingly pronounced at a Level 3 penetration rate between 10% and 20%. Estimated capacity reductions suggest that the maxima in time headway increments during the transition phase contribute most to these effects.
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series Frontiers in Future Transportation
spelling doaj-art-8a39c3e4c9ee49dcbd1acb87fc71534a2025-08-20T03:29:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Future Transportation2673-52102025-07-01610.3389/ffutr.2025.16007391600739Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitionsRobert Alms0Peter Wagner1Peter Wagner2Institute of Transportation Systems, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Transportation Systems, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Land and Sea Transport Systems, TU Berlin, Berlin, GermanyWith the increasing integration of conditionally automated Level 3 systems into real-world traffic, concerns about their impact on traffic efficiency and capacity have emerged. When such systems reach their operational limits, mandatory control transitions could disrupt traffic flow and reduce overall capacity. This study employs large-scale simulations and numerical experiments to analyze these effects and quantify potential capacity constraints. The results of the two-lane highway scenario show an experimental capacity reduction of up to 2000 veh/h in an almost fully automated but unmanaged traffic mix, corresponding to a loss of about 60%. Control transition-related effects become increasingly pronounced at a Level 3 penetration rate between 10% and 20%. Estimated capacity reductions suggest that the maxima in time headway increments during the transition phase contribute most to these effects.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffutr.2025.1600739/fullautomated vehicles (AVs)level 3 automationmixed-autonomy traffictraffic capacitytransition of control (ToC)
spellingShingle Robert Alms
Peter Wagner
Peter Wagner
Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
Frontiers in Future Transportation
automated vehicles (AVs)
level 3 automation
mixed-autonomy traffic
traffic capacity
transition of control (ToC)
title Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
title_full Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
title_fullStr Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
title_full_unstemmed Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
title_short Traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
title_sort traffic capacity constraints from level 3 control transitions
topic automated vehicles (AVs)
level 3 automation
mixed-autonomy traffic
traffic capacity
transition of control (ToC)
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffutr.2025.1600739/full
work_keys_str_mv AT robertalms trafficcapacityconstraintsfromlevel3controltransitions
AT peterwagner trafficcapacityconstraintsfromlevel3controltransitions
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