  This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of durations of
discretionary lane changes (LCs) on freeways based on an enriched dataset. A
comprehensive analysis of LC durations was conducted based on vehicle types, LC
directions and navigation speeds. It was found that the heavy vehicle takes
longer time to complete LC maneuver. The LC direction significantly influences
the durations of passenger cars but has no significant influence on heavy
vehicles. The navigation speed was found to have important influence on LC
durations. However, it has different impacts according to vehicle types and LC
directions. Further analysis of LC durations at different stages showed that
drivers of passenger cars might use different strategies to perform LCs when
they change lanes to different directions. However, drivers of heavy vehicles
in both directions used less time to occupy the target lanes. Results of this
study can be beneficial to understand the mechanism of LC process and the
influence of LC on traffic flow.

Systems and Control;Systems and Control