The future of vehicle safety

Hardly a day goes by where the story of a distracted driver and a resulting serious traffic accident isn’t reported by the local news. Modern conveyances are often accused of causing the distraction; cell phones, Facebook updates and stereo tuners tuned a bit too high are all sited as factors leading to the distraction. But lets be honest with one another. The morning commute alone can be a mind-numbing experience, traveling the same route in the same traffic, day after day. I admit, there have been mornings where I’ve arrived at work but for the life of me, I can’t remember the drive in!

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How many close encounters can you recall? The trucker that blew the red light just as you were pulling out? The pass you intended to make only to find another vehicle taking up the lane space beside you?

Here are some stats to consider. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that over 10 million motor vehicle accidents occur each year in our country. Those result in nearly 33,000 deaths a year…that’s four per hour folks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 4 to 35. Injuries from motor vehicle accidents cost us citizens over $99 billion dollars each year in lost production and medical expenses.

Imagine the impact if these statistics could be reduced by 50, 60 or even 80 percent?

The Technology Exists
There are numerous advances in production technology that all aim at keeping the driver safe from injury. Antilock braking systems and traction control systems both work to aid the driver in maintaining control when he attempts an emergency maneuver. Airbags and passive restraints seek to prevent or reduce injury when the inevitable impact occurs. These are all examples of systems that have been in common use for some time now.

Recently, active radar and onboard cameras have been employed to begin the process of protecting the driver from himself and the other drivers he shares the road with. Blind spot monitoring systems warn the driver with a visual and audible indicator when he attempts to change lanes with another vehicle in close proximity. If he persists, the electronic control unit (on some systems) may apply braking to one side of the car, effectively steering him back into his lane.

Forward facing cameras incorporated in the rearview mirror assembly keep an eye on the lane markings and begin flashing a warning all of their own should they detect that the driver is wandering. One manufacturer uses a coffee cup symbol on the instrument display to encourage the driver to pull off to the side of the road and take a break. That same camera system, coupled with radar sensors, also monitors traffic in front of the vehicle. Should the car in front stop suddenly, or the driver’s attention be distracted for some reason, the collision avoidance software will calculate the closing rate and first attempt to warn the driver that an accident is impending. At the same time, it calculates the amount of braking force needed to prevent the accident or at least, limit the impact’s force. If the warnings are ignored, it may even activate the braking system all by itself.

Rear cameras and radar sensors keep an eye out for obstacles (read: kids) the driver may not be able to see otherwise and the radar arrays on some models can even warn the driver if an unseen

vehicle is approaching to close when exiting a side street or parking space.

And while these systems are certainly a valuable safety improvement, they suffer the same weakness their drivers have. They all rely on a line of sight to be able to see the danger.

Let’s Talk
“The past 50 years has been about surviving vehicle crashes,” says Gregory D. Winfree, Deputy Administrator of the Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) in a Consumer Reports interview last April. “The next 50 will be about preventing them.”

In 1999, the Federal Communications Commission set aside part of the wireless spectrum for Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) devices. These devices are not unlike the existing wireless devices you’re used to, and are designed to allow vehicles to communicate with one another (V2V). They also allow communication between the vehicle and traffic management infrastructure (V2I). When the overall concept is discussed, it is often referred to simply as “V2X.”

Each car transmits its data 10 times per second. This allows vehicles equipped with the technology to create a real-time map of the conditions surrounding it. Location, speed and direction of travel of

nearby vehicles are plotted and potential crash scenarios evaluated. In addition, vehicles can communicate with traffic signals, toll booths, work and school zones as well as other elements of the traffic management infrastructure. Data could be analyzed and traffic patterns modified to minimize congestion.

“When you first hear about it, it sounds really far out,” says Mike Shulman, technical leader of Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering team. “But when you stop to think about it, we use Wi-Fi in our laptops and at Starbucks and we all have cellular (smart) phones. We’re living in a wireless world and all we’re doing is taking the same technology and GPS technology and bring(ing) it into the cars for safety.”

Wireless communications is already in use in cities around the country. The collection of electronic tolls is one example that is in common use. Many locales are using traffic management programs that provide real-time messaging on electronic message boards to warn drivers of congestion ahead. Truckers keep moving and avoid unnecessary idle periods by bypassing conventional weight stations and having their loads measured electronically. This one use alone is estimated at saving over 25 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.

The NHTSA began studying the technology in 2002. In 2011, the Department of Transportation (DOT) began collaboration with eight of the OEMs; specifically, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen. This loose partnership is

encouraging the development of the DSRC technology as an open platform to insure compatibility between makes. According to DOT studies, the adoption of this technology would have more impact on overall driver safety than any other to date. Some analyses suggest that over 80 percent of all traffic accidents involving unimpaired drivers could be eliminated.

Big Brother to the Rescue?
Naturally, some objections and concerns have been raised. One is the security of the transmitted data and what data is actually sent out to the wireless world. “We want people to accept that this is a technology that’s helpful,” said Ford’s Shulman in the Consumer Reports article. “It’s not Big Brother that we’re putting in their vehicle.”

The security of the system is also a concern. Is the data being transmitted real or fictional? Imagine the impact on our infrastructure if the system could be hacked?

Driver acceptance is another factor to be considered. When and how should the driver be warned? Already, many drivers are reporting they are bypassing some collision alert features because they found them annoying.

In August 2011, DOT began its first phase of research through a series of driver acceptance clinics. Applications tested included in-car collision warnings, “do not pass” alerts and warnings that a vehicle ahead had stopped suddenly. Nearly 700 drivers participated in the six clinics held in California, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Texas and Minnesota over a six-month period that ended in January 2012. Participants were first briefed on the system operation and then taken on a closed course with a professional driver in the passenger’s seat. While the research data is still being

analyzed, the overwhelming majority of the participants (nine in 10) told researchers they would like to see the technology in their car and that they think it would have a dramatic improvement in highway safety.

Safety Pilot Program in Michigan
In August 2012, DOT announced the beginning of the next phase of testing. Partnering with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, this second phase will send nearly 3,000 V2X vehicles onto the streets of Ann Arbor. This “road test” is the first large-scale test of the technology in the real world. NHTSA administrator David Strickland commented to the press, “Vehicle to vehicle communication has the potential to be the ultimate game changer in roadway safety. But we need to understand how to apply the technology in an effective way in the real world.”

“Many significant advances in roadway safety resulted from the collaboration between government, industry and academia” adds Winfree. “The deployment today is the culmination of years of cooperative research on forward-thinking technology designed to save lives and prevent injuries on America’s roads.”

Most of the eight OEM partners have supplied vehicles equipped with V2X technology to the program. “Participating in this program will help GM and our research partners gain a more accurate,

detailed understanding of V2V and V2I’s potential safety benefits,” says Nady Boules, GM Global R&D director of the Electrical and Control Systems Research Lab. “It is essential that common standards and security frameworks be established for V2V and V2I technologies so that vehicles from different manufacturers can communicate and interoperate with each other in a consistent manner.”

Volunteers, however, will provide the majority of the vehicles the program will be using to evaluate the real world applications. These cars will be outfitted with aftermarket devices to prove that the technology can be easily incorporated into the existing domestic fleet. Some of the test vehicles will transmit their information only using a Vehicle Awareness Device (VAD) while others will be fitted to transmit and receive V2X information using an Aftermarket Safety Device (ASD). A few will be outfitted with instrumentation used to gauge driver interaction with the safety warnings and systems.

The second phase of the Safety Pilot program is expected to take about a year to complete. At that

time, NHTSA will use the collected data to determine the future direction of V2X technology and may even consider rulemaking to integrate the system into future production automobiles. But the use of the technology is not limited to vehicles with four or more wheels. Researchers envision the use of V2X to be of equal benefit when applied to motorcycles and even mass transit.

“Safety is our number one priority, and this research could save lives and prevent injuries across America,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a DOT press release. “We need to keep looking for new ways to improve safety and reduce fatalities.”

What is 80 percent of 30,000? That’s how many lives this program could potentially save.

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