Calibration of car-following models with single- and multi-step approaches

• Published in: Proceedings of the 2012 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: Nippold, R., Wagner, P.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-12-2012
• Subjects: Acceleration; Adaptation models; Analytical models; Calibration; Data models; Mathematical model; Vehicles
• ISBN: 1467347795; 9781467347792
• ISSN: 0891-7736; 1558-4305
• DOI: 10.1109/WSC.2012.6465070

Microscopic traffic simulation models are applied in the analysis of transportation systems for years. Nevertheless, calibration (and validation) of microscopic sub-models such as car-following and gap-acceptance models is still a recent matter. The objective of the calibration is to adapt the simulation output to empirical data by adjusting the model's parameters. However, simulation results may vary from the underlying real-world data, despite the calibration. To analyze these deviations the present paper compares two different approaches of calibration using data from a single-lane car-following experiment on a Japanese test track. It is demonstrated that the results of the two methods differ significantly. A recommendation for the more appropriate method to use is given.