Multi-Dimensional Risk Classification and Importance Assessment of Motorway Lane-Changing

1. Research Hypotheses and Objectives：The primary objective of this research is to quantify the subjective risk perceptions of drivers regarding lane-changing maneuvers on high-speed segments. The study is built upon the hypothesis that highway lane-changing risk is a multi-dimensional construct influenced by four primary factors: Driver Factors, Vehicle Characteristics, Road Environment, and Sudden Interference Events. It is hypothesized that human-centric variables, such as fatigue and distraction, carry a higher weight in risk contribution compared to static road infrastructure. Furthermore, the study assumes that sudden, unpredictable events—such as emergency braking or road subsidence—represent a higher level of instantaneous risk than routine driving variables.
2. Data Content and Structure：The dataset consists of 130 valid survey responses collected from drivers with varying levels of experience. The data is structured into three distinct modules:Respondent Demographics: This includes categorical data on age, gender, driving years, and average weekly highway driving duration.Vehicle Profiles: Data regarding the primary vehicle types operated by respondents, ranging from small passenger cars to heavy freight trucks.Risk Preference Matrices: This section contains pairwise comparison values based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Best-Worst Method (BWM). The values range from "1" (equal importance) to "5" (extreme importance), including reciprocal values (1/2 to 1/5) when the second factor is deemed more critical.
3. Data Collection and Methodology：The data was collected on August 6, 2025, under the academic supervision of Chongqing Transportation University. A structured questionnaire was deployed to gather expert and experienced driver intuition regarding safety risks. To ensure data quality, the survey utilized a "consistency-check" logic common in AHP modeling; for instance, respondents were asked to compare specific sub-factors like "Fatigue Driving" vs. "Distraction" and "Vehicle Speed" vs. "Braking Performance" to ensure a logical hierarchy of risk perception.
4. Significant Findings and Indicators：Initial analysis of the 130 responses indicates several critical safety trends. Within the "Sudden Interference" category, "Emergency Braking of the Lead Vehicle" and "Sudden Lane-Changing by Adjacent Vehicles" were identified as top-tier risk factors. In the "Road Environment" category, "Distance between Vehicles" (Headway) was consistently rated as more critical than "Lane Width" or "Traffic Volume". Additionally, the data highlights a significant perceived risk disparity between "Brake Failure" and "Navigation Errors" within vehicle system malfunctions, with the former reaching extreme importance ratings.