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Analysis of institutional authors

Castro, MAuthor

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February 11, 2022
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Impact on driver behaviour of guardrails of different height in horizontal-vertical coordinated road scenarios with a limited available sight distance

Publicated to: TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART F-TRAFFIC PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR. 84 287-300 - 2022-01-01 84(), DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2021.12.008

Authors:

Lioi, A; Hazoor, A; Castro, M; Bassani, M
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Affiliations

Politecn Torino, Dept Environm Land & Infrastruct Engn DIATI, Turin, Italy - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Dept Ingn Transporte Terr & Urbanismo, ETSICCP, Madrid, Spain - Author

Abstract

Drivers consider traffic barriers (e.g., guardrails) a protection system, a hard obstacle and a sight obstruction. Hence, the possibility of using containment level barriers which are higher and superior than the minimum required by current standards should be carefully evaluated. Moreover, research investigations into their impact on driver behaviour should be designed so as to distinguish between the effects associated with each of the three roles cited above. This driving simulation study investigates how drivers adapt their longitudinal and transversal behaviour when negotiating curves with guardrails of different heights on horizontal-vertical coordinated two–lane rural road settings, with consideration given solely to the sight obstruction effect of the guardrails. Fifty-four participants drove four out of the eighteen possible scenarios obtained when the same horizontal alignment is combined with three vertical profiles with three inner roadside treatments (no guardrails, 0.75 m two–wave and 0.95 m three-wave guardrails) and the two driving directions. Research outcomes confirm that guardrail height has a significant impact on lateral and longitudinal behaviour. With the minimum standard, i.e., the minimum height, drivers stay closer to the roadside, while higher guardrails result in drivers increasing their lateral distance. Speeds are influenced by the interaction between the guardrail and other geometric and human factors. Male and female drivers adapt differently to the limitation in the available sight distance caused by the guardrail: males increase their speed, adopting a more aggressive behaviour than females. Important safety implications due to the higher speeds and wider trajectories have to be considered at the design stage.
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Keywords

available sight distancecurvedesign decisiondriver behaviourgeometryguardrailsperceptionspeedvisual-attentionAvailable sight distanceDesign decisionDriver behaviourDriving simulationGuardrails

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART F-TRAFFIC PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency Scopus (SJR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2022, it was in position , thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Civil and Structural Engineering. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.28. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 1.29 (source consulted: FECYT Mar 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2026-04-24, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 12
  • Scopus: 18
  • Google Scholar: 11
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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-24:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 31 (PlumX).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/85684/

As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

  • Views: 155
  • Downloads: 3
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Italy.

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