A Cellular Automata Simulation on Multi-lane Traffic Flow for Designing Effective Rules

To evaluate and analyze the performance of the rule "keep right except to pass", a model of traffic flow on a multi-lane freeway based on cellular automaton (CA) is proposed. Taking lane-changing frequency as the main indicator of traffic safety level, we analyze the impact of different lane changing and deceleration probability on the traffic flow and safety in light and heavy traffic. And then we compare the "keep-right-except-to-pass" rule with the free rule in the two-lane case. The results demonstrate that "keep-right-except-to-pass" rule is not as effective as the free rule in promoting traffic flow, however, this rule ensures better safety for drivers than the free rule. Additionally, a new traffic rule, which sets different posted speed limits for adjacent lanes, is designed to promote a better traffic flow with the safety requirements satisfied.