On the Characterization of V2V Link Performance in Highway Vehicular Networks

In this paper, we consider a vehicular network in a highway scenario and assess the reliability of the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication links between the vehicles separated by a lane. The statistical characterization of the V2V link is particularly challenging due to the highly dynamic nature of the link blockages. To address this, we adopt a real-time, simulation-based approach that considers a multiple-lane highway scenario, with standard vehicle dimensions to model the blockages. We study the statistics of the data sizes which can be sent over the uninterrupted LOS links, and also calculate the probability of blockage for different lane velocities. These values can serve as a performance benchmark for V2V transmissions and provide essential design guidelines for V2V operators. Our results show that the LOS probability and data size for uninterrupted transmission increase with the decrease in the relative speed of the vehicles in adjacent lanes.