Title: Research Needs Vehicle Track
1Research Needs Vehicle Track
- Prepared for
- AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
- Donna C. Nelson, Ph.D.
- Transportation Perspectives, Inc
- dcnelson_at_t-perspectives.com
2Scope Focus of Vehicle Track
- Workshop Tracks
- Human Factors
- Vehicles
- Highway/Infrastructure
- Vehicle Track Scope
- Vehicle performance and design
- In-vehicle technologies
- Vehicle-related regulatory and policy research
- ??
- Focus
- Focus is on long-term research needs 5 to 10
years out. - Discussion of basic research at discretion of
participants
3Whitepaper Objectives
- Identify future research needs related to vehicle
safety. - Provide an overview of current and planned
research related to vehicle safety - Set out a preliminary or strawman list of
future research needs and gaps.
Paper developed to stimulate discussion,
complete review and synthesis not intended.
4Where will we be in five years?
- Changes in vehicle fleet
- Introduction market penetration of advanced
vehicle technologies - Alternative fuel vehicles
- Fuel efficiency
- Results from current round of DOT initiatives
- Large-scale field tests of VII underway
- Changes in US population demographics
5Literature Review
Focused on
- Existing USDOT Research and Program Plans with
vehicle-safety elements. - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) - Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- New USDOT Initiatives and Exploratory
Initiatives. - Emerging vehicle technologies and systems
- Other materials and documents identifying
emerging and future safety-related research gaps
and needs, and discussions with vehicle-safety
experts.
6National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safety Rulemaking and Research Priorities
- Priority Areas (2001-2004)
- Increasing safety belt use, reducing impaired
driving, addressing vehicle rollovers and vehicle
crash incompatibility, improving data systems.
- Near term (2005-2006) regulatory priorities
- Rollovers, large truck tires, side impact
protection, tire pressure monitoring systems,
event data recorders, performance of child
restraint systems (CRS) for larger children. - Longer term (2007-2009) potential actions
- Research on tire bead unseating and tire
strength, rulemaking on truck trailer antilock
brake (ABS) performance.
7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admin.
- (FMCSA) Office of Research Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration and Technology Plan - Reduce commercial motor vehicle-related crashes,
fatalities, injuries, and losses, and enhance
operational efficiency. - Improve truck and motorcoach performance through
vehicle-based safety technologies. - Safety focus areas address safety belt use,
tires, conspicuity, car/truck compatibility, and
the impact of new technologies.
8Vehicle Infrastructure Cooperation
- Communication between individual vehicles, and
between vehicles and the infrastructure enables
applications which - Improve safety, operations and maintenance.
- Support the needs of the vehicle manufacturers
and other private interests. - Safety applications include
- Active safety warning system applications,
- Crash and incident response applications,
- Advance warnings of hazards, and
- Data collection to improve traffic and roadway
safety - Maintenance applications with safety
implications.
9US DOT ITS Initiatives
- Integrated Vehicle-based Safety Systems
- Integrated solutions that address rear-end,
run-off-road, and lane change crashes. - Communication of an integrated warning to the
driver, - Objective tests and criteria for performance of
systems - Field test of integrated vehicle-based safety
systems
Lane deviation systems
Lane keeping assistance
10US DOT ITS Initiatives
- Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance
Systems - Develop and demonstrate cooperative intersection
collision avoidance systems for both violations
and gaps - Assess the value and acceptance of CICA systems
- Develop tools to support industry deployments
and - Support research, systems integration activities
- Produce a system prototype and a large-scale
field operational test by 2009. - Formal work plan under development
11USDOT Exploratory Initiatives
- Exploratory short-duration initiatives underway
- Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) for
Mobility, - Vehicle Assist and Automation Systems,
- ITS Technologies to Reduce Pedestrian Injuries
and Fatalities - Teen Driving Electronic Report Card, and
- Wireless Truck and Bus Inspection.
- Evaluated within a year of start-up, continued as
"Tier One" initiatives or will be discontinued.
12USDOT Exploratory Initiatives
- Vehicle Assist Automation Systems for Transit
Operations - Address safety in difficult operating conditions,
such as main-tenance yards, narrow lanes or
bus-only shoulders on freeways. - Builds on research and development of collision
warning systems, integrated warning systems and
lane-assist systems.
- Teen Driving Electronic Report card
- Develop and evaluate the usability, effectiveness
and acceptability of a vehicle-based Teen Driving
Electronic Report Card. - Vehicle-based technologies integrated into a
device that can operate in real time to sense,
record, evaluate and provide feedback on driving
practices.
13Preliminary list
- Research needs topic areas for discussion in
breakout group
14Vehicle Compatibility Crash Worthiness
Develop vehicle designs that better protect their
own occupants and cause less harm to occupants of
the struck vehicle.
- Vehicle aggressivity
- Heavy vehicle under-runs
- Vehicle partner-protection
- Vehicle self-protection
- Vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility
15Reducing pedestrian injuries
http//world.honda.com/factbook/auto/motorshow/200
310/10.html
16Restraints Injury Prevention
- Advanced/smart restraint systems
- Seatbelt reminders/safety belt interlocks
- Adjustable restraint systems (upper anchorages)
- Roll-over Sensors to deploy air bags in a
rollover crash. - Improve roof crush protection and interior
padding for occupants.
- Reduction of occupant ejection through doors and
windows - Improvements to head restraints, airbags
17Crash/Safety Data
- Crash dummies
- Event data recorders
- Commercial vehicle safety data
- Vehicle condition monitoring
- ???
18Pre-crash safety systems
http//www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/its/program/functi
on/pre_clash.html
19Vehicle lighting, visibility and glare
- Advanced lighting systems
- Adaptive lighting
- New lighting technology
- Vision enhancement systems
- Blindspot camera systems
20Vehicle handling and performance
- Improved Light Vehicle Braking
- Stopping distance disparities between passenger
cars and LTVs. - Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) and
electro-hydraulic systems as possible
replacements for the hydraulic brake systems now
in use. - Electronic brake proportioning, brake assist,
regenerative brake systems (RBS), and EBS and
electro-hydraulic systems.
21Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Ensuring that hydrogen ICE and fuel cell powered
vehicles provide a level of safety comparable to
that of other vehicles currently in use in the
United States.
- Crash-testing of AFV
- Post-crash incident response issues
- Refueling and fuels storage
- Vehicle compatibility
22Motorcoaches
- Emergency evacuation
- Evacuation plans
- Push-out windows/exits
- Window glazing
- Improved braking
- Rollover stability control
- Occupant protection
- roof crush improvements
- advanced restraint systems.
23Schoolbus Safety
- Current NHTSA research focused on side impact
protection. - Topics under consideration include
- increasing seat back height requiring
lap/shoulder restraints on smaller buses and test
procedures for voluntarily installed lap/shoulder
belts. - ??
24Older Drivers and Occupants
- Older drivers
- Use of advanced in-vehicle technologies to help
older drivers meet their driving needs. - Safely maintain mobility of aging populations.
- Research to evaluate in-vehicle safety technology
to improve safety for older drivers
- Older Occupants
- Older occupants' vulnerability to injury
- Adequacy of current vehicle interiors and safety
devices for protecting older occupants. - Development of age dependent injury criteria
25Accessible motor vehicles
Provide vehicle safety without hindering access
to personal transportation, including allowing
persons with disabilities to drive.
- Functionality and injury potential from installed
equipment and vehicle modifications. - Potential for new in-vehicle technologies
26Heavy-vehicle performance
- Braking systems
- Tire pressure monitoring
- Re-tread tire performance
- Vehicle stability
- Vehicle conspicuity
- Heavy vehicle tires
- Vehicle under-runs
http//www.bsmotoring.com/2004/may22_1.htm
27Heavy Vehicles
- Concept of re-designed commercial vehicle with
safety in mind.
- Extension of VII program to heavy vehicles
- Commercial vehicle safety screenings/wireless
inspections - Vehicle parts tracking and maintenance/replacement
programs. - Integrated vehicle diagnostics
28Personal Conveyances
- Increasing popularity of personal conveyances
- Low speed vehicles
- Hybrid, power-assisted vehicles
- Standup scooters, pocket bikes
- Evolving designs
- Intended/appropriate uses
- Safety requirements
http//www.electric-scooters-info.com/
29In-vehicle systems
- Emerging technologies
- In-vehicle safety systems
- Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII)
- Cooperative collision avoidance systems
- Advanced sensor technologies
- Advanced vehicle control
- Visibility enhancement
30VII Safety Use Cases
- Turn Conflict Warning
- Advance Warning Information to Vehicles
- Commercial Vehicle Safety Data
- Commercial Vehicle Electronic Clearance
- Just-in-Time Repair Notification
Examples
- Emergency Electronic Brake Lights
- Visibility Enhancer
- Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Automation System
- Pre-Crash Sensing
- Glare Reduction and Adaptive Headlight Aiming
- Adaptive Drivetrain Management
- Cooperative Forward Collision Warning
- Blind Spot Warning and Blind Merge Warning
- Highway Merge Assistant and lane change warning
- Cooperative Collision Warning
- Safety Event Recorder
- Speed Limit Assistant
From VII Architecture and Functional
Requirements
31VII-related issues
Opportunities and challenges presented by VII
- Shared use of VII infrastructure and systems by
safety and non-safety applications - Security and use of data produced by vehicles
- System vulnerability to hackers
- Definition of new safety applications enabled by
VII applications
32Workshop Challenges
- Current programs provide a context.
- We need to speculate
- Likely safety issues and concerns five years out.
- Continuation/evolution of on-going program/topic
areas - New/emerging opportunities and challenges
33Contact Information
- Donna Nelson
- dcnelson_at_t-perspectives.com
- 301-977-8963
- www.t-perspectives.com (under construction)