Safety

Speeding is a significant contributor to a significant portion of highway collisions, for work
zones in particular. Automated speed enforcement is one potential solution to reduce the number of collisions in work zones where speeding is a persistent problem. This paper describes a recent study that was undertaken to assess the technical performance of work-zone automated speed enforcement (ASE) equipment in the field. Several commercially-off-the-shelf traffic monitoring devices, along with a selective ASE system, RWASS, were field tested at selected study sites in California. The study site was located on a rural two-lane highway, where speeding appeared to be common. The RWASS tends to yield a lower measured value of speed measurement, with a mean differential of less than 1 mph.  The standard deviation of the speed differential is between 3 to 4 mph. The assessment of technical performance of ASE and other traffic monitoring devices can offer insights in the process of  validating functional characteristics and seeking performance enhancements. The outcome of this study will provide valuable support for future ASE implementation.

University of California, Berkeley

Paper submitted for publication and presentation at the ITS America’s 2009 Annual Meeting and Exposition

The combination of new technologies, e.g. ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)
and/or telematics, with existing infrastructure may lead to cost-efficient solutions for reducing
road traffic accidents. The paper explores innovative measures of ADAS/telematics and infrastructure
technologies, and assesses the possible impact on self-explanatory and forgiving
road environments. Based on the investigation of the functional relationships between ADAS
and infrastructure design, a set of implementation scenarios are proposed of infrastructure
based measures and ADAS based measures. Road traffic safety is analysed in terms two composing
factors, accident risk and accident consequence, and of the speed and conflict related
determinants of these factors. The paper presents a conceptual schema (model) for microscopic
safety assessment to enable comparison of the effectiveness of measures with different
nature. The model could be used to analyse the potential effects of and relationships between
the various scenarios. The application of the conceptual model is illustrated in a case study of
safety performance analysis in the Netherlands.

Radboud University Nijmegen

NAVTEQ B.V., Veldhoven, The Netherlands

Hellenic Institute of Transport

Presented at the 12th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 6-10, 2005, San Francisco, California

This experiment investigated whether people were able to identify and comprehend the purpose and message content for visual status displays of advanced collision warning systems (ACWS).  The main goal was to assess whether individuals understood what systems were present or operational in a vehicle and whether prior exposure to that vehicle’s owner’s manual (or another vehicle’s owner’s manual) affected that knowledge. The four key systems investigated were forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), blind spot warning (BSW), and adaptive cruise control (ACC). Participants were presented with high-resolution images of a vehicle’s interior, and then asked about system presence or operational status. Overall, individuals were not accurate in assessing whether an advanced crash warning system was present (more than 40% of these responses were incorrect), but participants were nonetheless confident in their response accuracy. Familiarity with the vehicle’s owner’s manual improved comprehension slightly. ACWS design issues are discussed.

Westat

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Presented at the 18th World Congress on ITS, October 2011, Orlando, Florida

The evaluation of a truck-based drowsy driver warning system through field operational test (FOT) data will provide an objective assessment of user- and device-provided performance data. The evaluation will address five areas: safety benefits, driver acceptance, fleet management acceptance, performance and capability, and deployment. This paper reviews the goals and objectives that the evaluation will pursue. Although the details of the plan will evolve as the FOT approaches, the information provided addresses the main topics and indicates the thoroughness with which the evaluation will be performed. Ultimately, the FOT and its subsequent evaluation will provide a useful contribution to public safety.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 29 –May 2, 2002 Long Beach, California

The evaluation of a truck-based drowsy driver warning system through field operational
test (FOT) data will provide an objective assessment of user- and device-provided
performance data. The evaluation will address five areas: safety benefits, driver
acceptance, fleet management acceptance, performance and capability, and deployment.
This paper reviews the goals and objectives that the evaluation will pursue. Although the
details of the plan will evolve as the FOT approaches, the information provided addresses
the main topics and indicates the thoroughness with which the evaluation will be
performed. Ultimately, the FOT and its subsequent evaluation will provide a useful
contribution to public safety.

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Presented at the ITS America Annual Conference and Exposition, April 29-May 2, 2002, Long Beach, California