Integration of UTIS and WIS information for Determining Speed Limits of Variable Speed Limit System

There has been a strong demand for providing diverse services to drivers utilizing existing ITS infrastructure. To this end, this study is aiming at improving the accuracy of a variable speed limit system by determining recommended speeds for the system utilizing the information from Urban Traffic Information System(UTIS) and Weather Information System(WIS). In order to determine appropriate speed limits under inclement weather conditions for the variable speed limit system, this study examined three methods: i) the method utilizing the information from WIS, ii) the method utilizing the information from UTIS, and iii) the method which combines the information from WIS and UTIS using different weights for diverse weather conditions. Finally, this study selected the third method which determines an appropriate speed limit using the relationship between the vehicle operating speed and the minimum stopping distance which is estimated using the existing speed limit, surface coefficient of friction and superelevation.