Overview of ITS Safety Research

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Overview of ITS Safety Research

• Jack Ference
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

2
Presentation Outline

• Background on Safety and ITS
• Past Research Efforts
• New Initiatives
• Expected Outcomes

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Crashes are a Public Health Problem

• 42,000 deaths
• 3 million injuries
• 6 million crashes
• 230 billion economic loss

4
Recent Safety History

• Aggressive Efforts Have Positively Impacted Crash
  Rates and Numbers
• Occupant Protection
• Drunk Driving Enforcement
• Improvements Highway Design
• Leveling Off of Gains in Recent Years
• Increase in VMT Likely to Result in Increased
  Crashes
• Additional Improvements Can Be Realized Through
  Active Safety Systems, I.e. Crash Warning and
  Crash Avoidance
• Technology Offers the Potential for Significant
  Safety Gains

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Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

• Application of Advanced Technologies to Improve
  Transportation Safety and Mobility

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ITS And Safety

• Safety is a Critical Component of the ITS Program
• Major Portion of the ITS Program Has Been Focused
  on Crash Avoidance Intelligent Vehicle
  Initiative
• Emergency Response Has Also Been a Focus Area

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Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) 1997-2005

• The Mission of IVI Program Was to Prevent Highway
  Crashes and Reduce the Fatalities and Injuries
  They Cause.
• Initiative Had Two Primary Goals
• Facilitate Accelerated Deployment of Crash
  Avoidance Systems
• Driver Distraction Research
• Four Vehicle Types or Platforms Considered
  Light, Commercial, Transit and Specialty
• Cooperative Program Industry Engaged Throughout

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IVI Crash Avoidance Systems

• Work in Crash Avoidance Focused on Five Areas
• Rear-end Collisions
• Roadway Departure Collisions
• Lane Change-Merge Collisions
• Intersection Collisions
• Vehicle Stability for Commercial Vehicles

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IVI Crash Avoidance Systems

• Work in This Area Encompassed
• Identifying and Better Defining Priority Safety
  Problems
• Developing Performance Guidelines and
  Specifications
• Developing and Testing Prototype Systems
• Estimating Potential Safety Benefits

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IVI Preventing Driver Distraction

• Intent Was to Ensure Various Warning and Other
  In-vehicle Did Not Adversely Distract Drivers
• The Research Approach (SAVE-IT) Included
• Understanding the Problem
• Developing Tools to Measure and Quantify Levels
  of Distraction
• Developing Human Factor Guidelines to Aid in
  Design
• Creating Approaches to Reduce Distraction from
  In-vehicle Devices

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Emergency Response

• Once a Crash Occurs, Incident Detection and
  Response Times are Critical to End Result (Golden
  Hour)
• ITS Program Has Focused on Several Methods for
  Improved Emergency Response
• Automatic Collision Notification
• Prototype Development and Testing
• Demonstrated Data Transfer from Vehicles to
  PSAPs
• Enhanced Wireless 911
• Wireless E9-1-1 Priority Action Plan
• Wireless E9-1-1 Deployment Database
• Technical Assistance for Public Safety Answering
  Points

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Major Initiatives 2005-2010
Safety
Mobility
Global Connectivity
Integrated Vehicle- Based Safety
Systems Cooperative Intersection Collision
Avoidance Systems Next Generation 911
Integrated Corridor Management Systems Mobility
Services for All Americans Clarus Emergency
Transportation Operations
Universal Electronic Freight Manifest
Crosscutting Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
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Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS)

• Vision
• To Accelerate the Deployment of Integrated Safety
  Systems Addressing Rear-end, Lane Change and
  Roadway Departure Collisions into the
  Light-vehicle and Heavy Commercial Vehicle Fleets
• Approach
• Partner With Team of Suppliers and Vehicle
  Manufacturers to Develop and Field Test Prototype
  Systems in a Public Field Operational Test
• Collect Field Data to Assess System Performance,
  Potential Safety Benefits, User Acceptance
  Develop and Provide Information to Support
  Deployment and Government Decision Making
  (Functional Requirements, Objective Tests and
  Performance Specifications)

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Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance
Systems (CICAS)

• Vision
• To Develop Cooperative Intersection Collision
  Avoidance Systems That Can Save Lives and Prevent
  Injuries at the Most Hazardous Intersections
  Nationally.
• Approach
• Partner With Consortium of Vehicle Manufacturers
  and Infrastructure Owners.
• Develop and Demonstrate Prototype Systems, Assess
  Their Value and User Acceptance, Develop and
  Provide Tools to Support Industry Deployment.

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Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG-911)

• Vision
• 911 Calls From Any Communication or Networked
  Device.
• Fundamental Changes (Who, What, Where, How) in
  Moving Emergency Information.
• Approach
• Partner With Public Safety Agencies and Telecom
  Industry.
• Broadly Seek Innovative Technical/institutional
  Solutions.
• Define a System Architecture, Develop a
  Transition Plan.
• Consider Responsibilities, Costs, Benefits,
  Schedule for Nationwide Deployment.

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Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)

• Vision
• To Achieve Nationwide Deployment of an Integrated
  Communications Infrastructure on the Roadways and
  in All Production Vehicles to Enable a Broad
  Range of Safety and Mobility Services That Today
  Are Unattainable.
• Approach
• Convene a VII Coalition--Auto Manufacturers,
  AASHTO, USDOT--to Work Through Issues in the
  Technical, Policy, Business Models, and Outreach
  Areas.
• Initiate a Program to Develop and Test Prototype
  Systems
• Develop and Test Public Sector Applications
• Develop Plan for Coordinated Deployment

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VII Applications

• VII Can Enable a Wide Range of Applications
• Cooperative Safety Systems
• Intersection Collision Avoidance
• Road Departure Warning
• Work Zone Management
• In-Vehicle Signing
• Wireless Truck Inspections
• Active Probe Vehicles
• Commercial Applications

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Issues Effecting Deployment

• Several Key Issues Will Have to Be Resolved
• Technical Implementation
• Privacy and Data Ownership Policy
• Business Models/Deployment Strategies

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End Result - Vehicle Safety Systems

• Currently Available
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Road Departure Warning
• Lane Keeping
• Electronic Stability Control
• Collision Notification
• Near-term and Future
• Break Assist
• Red Light and Stop Sign Violation Warning
• Intersection Gap Assistance
• In-Vehicle Signing
• Vehicle to Vehicle Collision Avoidance Systems

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For Further Information

• Jack Ference
• Office of Human-Vehicle Performance Research
• Intelligent Technologies Research Division
  (NVS-332)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• 400 Seventh Street, SW
• Room 6220
• Washington, D.C. 20590
• [phone]
• Jack.Ference_at_dot.gov
• Related websites
• FHWA ITS JPO http//www.its.dot.gov/
• NHTSA RD http//www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/