Reassessing desired time headway as a measure of car-following capability: Definition, quantification, and associated factors

The desired time headway is often used to incorporate human behavior in car-following (CF) models by treating it as a measure of driver capability in car-following interactions, which is latent and cannot be directly observed. However, the desired time headway is often assumed to be a constant value for a driver across all speed levels. This assumption can be unrealistic and unreliable. Studies indicate that the mean time headway during steady-state car-following interactions quantifies the desired time headway, but inconsistent conditions for steady-state interactions in the literature make such assessments challenging. This study aims to reassess the desired time headway as a metric of driver capability in car-following interactions. Specifically, it identifies steady-state car-following conditions for reliable desired time headway estimates via the NGSIM I80 dataset. The results show that using a sustenance window of 3.5 ​s with an acceleration threshold of ±0.75 ​m/s 2 and a relative speed of ±1.52 ​m/s reduces transient and sporadic time headway observations, which in turn improves the reliability of the desired time headway. The obtained conditions are applied to the car-following trajectories in a driving simulator experiment, designed to focus on the steady-state at two speed levels (85 and 40 ​km/h) in traditional environment (TE) and connected environment (CE). The results indicate that the desired time headway is significantly longer in high-speed car-following (85 ​km/h) than in low-speed car-following (40 ​km/h) in the TE and CE and that driving aids help maintain more consistent desired time headways. A comparison of the TE and CE in low-speed car-following shows that most drivers prioritize safety by increasing the desired time headway in the CE. However, in high-speed car-following, the mean desired time headway is not significantly different between the TE and the CE on an aggregate level. Furthermore, the study presents a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) describing the desired time headway selection in different conditions, identifying age, gender, and crash involvement as significant variables other than the driving conditions. • Reexamines desired time headway as a metric to assess driver capability in car-following interactions. • A framework extracts steady-state car-following interactions for reliable estimation of desired time headway. • Reveals significant variability in desired time headway at different speeds. • Shows safety-conscious behavior in connected settings, where longer headways enhance compliance with safety aids. • A GLMM identifies key factors affecting time headway choices, including driving conditions, crash history, age, and gender.