Predicting the effects of different traffic rules on motorways using SISTM

The behaviour of inter-urban traffic on multi-lane carriage ways in the UK is governed by a combination of traffic law and driving conventions. If different “Laws of Nature” were introduced, benefits in terms of higher average speeds, improved safety and reduced exhaust emissions may arise. This paper describes how the SISTM micro-simulation package was used to evaluate possible changes and determine the scenarios that are likely to be the most successful.