Extensions for the Foresighted Driver Model: Tactical lane change, overtaking and continuous lateral control

The Foresighted Driver Model (FDM) is a microscopic driver model which is based on the idea that a driver balances risk with utility. This paper deals with the modeling of advanced driving maneuvers for the FDM with a special focus on lateral positioning scenarios, such as lane changes in highway traffic. When driving at high speeds, tactical preparation for a safe lane change is of high importance. In this context, the paper presents maneuvers that allow for lane changes to be planned well in advance and carefully made without the restraint of requiring immediate action. Furthermore, the paper presents a continuous lateral control which allows driving on arbitrary paths other than the centerline, depending on the current traffic situation. Since more complex lateral maneuvers require more detailed considerations of the environment, an approach is presented to model the lane and the environmental influences. This paves the way for a modeling of variables such as lane markings, roadblocks, hard shoulders and more. Simulations illustrate how the introduced maneuvers allow successful preparation for upcoming lane changes and how traffic obstructions can be bypassed without performing a lane change but by using the continuous lateral control.