A Dynamic Variable Speed Limit Control Method for Dispersal of Queue Effects in Traffic Accidents

To mitigate the repercussions arising from traffic accidents on highways and prevent the cascading effect of queued vehicles, a comprehensive model is devised. This model is built upon the foundation of a traffic accident impact determination framework, which considers the merging capacity at entry lanes, as well as a dynamic and adaptable variable speed limit model to dissipate queuing congestion. The objective is to promptly restore vehicle flow after accidents, thereby eradicating queueing effects in the affected zone. The efficacy of this approach has been validated using data from the Sutong Bridge accident, and its effectiveness in eliminating vehicle queues has been verified through simulation data in the SUMO platform. Analysis of average speeds before and after implementing varying speed limits reveals that the proposed method can significantly enhance overall traffic efficiency by 37%. Moreover, the model’s versatile parameters demonstrate good applicability, providing theoretical and practical support to highway operation and management authorities.