ITS service definition
An HGV Overtaking ban service means to channel the heavy goods vehicles onto a single lane (slow lane).
The heavy goods vehicles overtaking ban implementation is one of the traffic management measures allowing traffic managers and road operators to propose solutions for a better fluidity of their network during peak periods. This traffic control measure constitutes one of the priority services to improve the cohabitation of heavy goods vehicles and private cars on networks with high levels of traffic.
ITS service objectives
Objectives:
The service allows traffic managers and road operators to support better fluidity on the network during peak periods.
ITS service radar
ITS service key words
During peak or congested periods on the main carriageway, HGV Overtaking may cause vehicles to brake or change lanes, creating higher occupancy and lower headways. This causes drivers to reduce their speed.
This speed reduction often causes following vehicles to brake, resulting in a propagation wave of slowing vehicles that travels back along the line of traffic on the main carriageway upstream where the HGV overtakes.
Traffic congestion on the network due to HGV overtaking with a low speed differential results in traffic slowdown in the middle and/or left lanes. The major impact is a decreased capacity of the network.
Additionally, during peak periods when congestion is increased there may also be a higher risk of accidents.
The HGV overtaking ban service is implemented through the deployment of ban signals on the main carriageway. This service intends to organize flow of heavy goods vehicles on the motorway network by channelling them onto a single lane (slow lane) in order to improve the traffic flow conditions.
Public opinion considers that heavy goods vehicles are dangerous and disturb the traffic when overtaking. This requires research for means to improve journey times and safety by reducing vehicle queues caused by slow lorries overtaking while ensuring a better acceptance of heavy goods vehicles by other road users.
Heavy goods vehicles overtaking ban implementation on long distances (several kilometres) is a traffic management measure enabling traffic managers and road operators to propose solutions for better fluidity of their network during peak periods. This measure constitutes one of the priority services to improve cohabitation between heavy goods vehicles and private car drivers on high traffic networks.
The overtaking ban is implemented during periods where the network capacity reaches its saturation point or when trucks are too numerous. According to the context and objectives, the deployment of overtaking ban can be managed in static way (the overtaking can be permanent or intermittent) or in dynamic way.
Recommendations and requirements presented in chapter “Harmonization requirements and advice” of this ITS service description mainly concern the dynamic overtaking ban service.
The deployed HGV overtaking ban intends to:
An HGV overtaking ban can be deployed on 2 and 3 lane (or more) highways. Nevertheless, due to national regulations, such a service is only allowed on 2 lane highways in some countries (Netherlands for example).
The deployment of an HGV overtaking ban is generally assessed against the following parameters:
Take into account national regulations to implement the ban:
Define the strategy for implantation of the ban according various parameters:
In practice, an HGV overtaking ban is part of a larger integrated traffic management system including others service as:
Relevant complementary information, which is not the content of this service description and will be covered by other DGs, is:
An HGV Overtaking ban service means to channel the heavy goods vehicles in a single lane (slow lane). This measure improves the traffic flow conditions by reducing vehicle queues caused by slow HGV overtaking. It also contributes to ensuring a better acceptance of heavy goods vehicles by the other road users.
The heavy goods vehicles overtaking ban implementation is one of the traffic management measures allowing traffic managers and road operators to propose solutions for a better fluidity of their network during peak periods. This traffic control measure constitutes one of the priority services to improve the cohabitation of heavy goods vehicles and private cars on networks with high traffic levels.
Figure 74 shows the typical functional and information architecture of the HGV Overtaking ban service.
Functional requirement:
Table 34: Sub-Functions of the HGV Overtaking Ban service
The devices and methodologies for traffic data collection are not covered by this guideline. They depend, among other things, on the particular data collection system used and are left to the operator to select.
Depending on the traffic conditions and periods, the objectives of an HGV overtaking ban could be to:
Whatever the initial objectives, the anticipated benefits of the service rely on stakeholders’ involvement for its implementation and road users’ acceptance on the network.
Organisational Architecture
Organisational requirement:
Organisational advice:
Road authorities
For the HGV overtaking ban the subsidiarity principle applies, i.e. Member States decide for themselves whether and how a truck overtaking ban is applied. The road authorities are responsible for the decision and the deployment of the service. They have to conduct preliminary studies:
Road operators
Following decisions taken by the road authorities they are mainly responsible for:
Law and order forces
Nevertheless, dynamic ban implementation requires specific information actions from the Road operators: the ban is only operational when thresholds for strategy activation are reached. In the case of enforcement implementation, Police patrols need to be informed by road operators in realtime in order to plan intervention. Enforcement may concern different types of control:
HGV representatives
Positive impacts of the service result from respect of the ban by HGV drivers. Such a measure requires coherent communication actions towards HGV representatives. In the case of dynamic bans, road operators manage real-time on-trip information through VMS, dedicated road traffic radio, on-board devices. It is important to stress the benefits of accident savings and the very small increase to journey times for HGVs to HGV operators and drivers.
HGV representatives have to be engaged as soon as possible in the ban process so that they can facilitate information transfer to their HGV drivers.
Media
Operators inform users of the existence of the measure(s), along with its interest and objectives, in order to increase respect for it in the future.
Service operators and on-board navigation systems
These operators need to be aware of the measure(s) to integrate them in the pre-trip or real-time services they manage. This implies that road operators make dynamic information available through a relevant interface providing, for instance, real-time DATEX II publications.
Permanent bans may be integrated as restrictions in the navigation systems. Dynamic bans must be disseminated to on-board units through real-time services using DATEX II interfaces.
Some evaluation results showed that for a better acceptance of the service, the ban should be implemented on sections from 5 to 20 km long. Above this distance, HGV drivers tend not respect the ban. One observes that it depends on the drivers’ cultural approach, which can vary from one country to another. For instance, in Netherlands, the ban is applied on longer sections with a good level of truck drivers acceptance.
Common Look & Feel requirement:
The following figure summarises this recommendation:
In the instance that the HGV ban is implemented for specific categories of lorries (> 12 Tonnes for example), in addition to the use of the C 13ba panel (which corresponds to a ban for HGV > 3.5 t.), it is strongly recommended to clearly specify the type of vehicles concerned by the ban.
When buses, caravans or vehicles with trailers are concerned by the ban measure the additional panel type H,5 should be used. However, dedicated icons for buses, caravans or trailers need to be studied with ESG4 “Mare Nostrum”.
On the motorway section
At the motorway entrance
Common Look & Feel requirements:
At the exit of rest and service areas
Users stopped on rest and services areas must be informed when restarting their trip. A banactivation could occur while drivers are taking a rest and they need to be informed when leaving service areas.
Static overtaking ban deployment does not require specific ITS infrastructure. Deployment of dynamic systems can make use of ICT infrastructures developed for other ITS services. For this dynamic service the required infrastructures are:
Data collection
Technical advice:
Technical requirements:
Regarding the timing and area, the following table presents the different potential information means.
Table 35: Possible information means
Variable message signs requirements:
Variable message signs advice:
Information provision standards:
Table 36 gives the Level of Service recommendations for a HGV Overtaking Ban service. The background of this concept is descripted in chapter 2.6.
Table 36: Level of Service recommendations for HGV Overtaking Ban
Level of Service requirement:
Table 37: Level of Service to Operating Environment mapping table (see also chapter 2.5.3 and ANNEX C)
[1] In the TTIS context, ‘organisations’ mean Traffic and Traveller Data providers and Service providers.
