On road network utility based on risk-aware link choice

We have previously shown how it is possible to lower accident risk levels while at the same time increasing traffic flows with the aid of vehicular ad-hoc networks. In this paper, we extend the online traffic accident risk mitigation system to include link choice. We develop an algorithm that allows vehicles to choose road links that provide the current maximal utility, based on information received over a vehicular network, whilst remaining below acceptable risk levels. Additionally, we investigate how to improve the performance of this algorithm by considering the effect a vehicle's link choice has on the utility of other vehicles. We introduce a social penalty for reducing other vehicles' utility and investigate the effects of including this as a factor in vehicles' link choices. The resulting system sheds new light on the problem of effective link choice by route selection algorithms and highlights the potential that exists in VANET-based traffic management.