VANET's Mobility Models and Overtaking: An Overview

The most important feature of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) is the high mobility of nodes, which makes the mobility model one of the most important parameters that should be carefully selected when evaluating any protocol. To correctly and faithfully evaluate protocols in a simulation study, the model should be as realistic as possible. Earlier models used in general mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), such as the random waypoint, are unsuitable for the VANET application, where the nodes do not move freely in the open area, but on the existing routes that are constrained by many parameters (route intersections, stop and traffic light signals, the presence of other vehicles in front the vehicle, etc.). Some new models taking into account these features have been recently proposed. In this paper we provide an overview of the mobility models newly proposed in literature, which can be used for simulating VANET. Afterwards, we will present our mobility simulator that mimics many of the recent models. Finally, we use this simulator to illustrate the impact of the overtaking on mobility and subsequently on the performance results, a parameter neglected by all the previous simulation studies.