The NTSB believes that developing and installing new technologies-such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and collision warning systems (CWS)-in commercial trucks, buses, and passenger vehicles will substantially reduce accidents. This assessment comes from numerous NTSB investigations.(1) In a 2-year period, for example, the NTSB investigated 9 rear-end collisions in which 20 people died and 181 were injured. Three of the accidents involved buses, and 1 accident involved 24 vehicles. Common to all nine accidents was the rear-following vehicle driver's degraded perception of traffic conditions ahead before striking other vehicles. These accidents did not involve the use of drugs or alcohol or mechanical defects in the vehicles. The investigations showed that sun glare, fog, smoke, fatigue, distractions, and work zones interfered with a driver's ability to detect slow-moving or stopped traffic ahead and resulted in rear-end collisions. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), preliminary analyses have shown that 1,836,000 police-reported crashes, or about 48 percent of accidents, could be prevented by rear-end or run-off-the-road and lane-change CWS.(2)
As of 2001, the DOT had established an Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) as a major component of the Intelligent Transportation System program. The goal of this initiative was to improve significantly the safety and efficiency of motor vehicle operations by reducing the probability of motor vehicle crashes. As part of the IVI, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluated the performance of CWS and ACC by participating in field operational tests of vehicles equipped with advanced safety systems. In May 2005, NHTSA released the results of its passenger vehicle testing in its Automotive Collision Avoidance System Field Operational Test Final Program Report, which showed the potential for reducing rear-end crashes by 10 percent and reported positive user reaction to the systems. The final report on the commercial vehicle field testing, Evaluation of the Volvo Intelligent Vehicle Initiative Field Operational Test, conducted for the DOT by Battelle and Volvo Trucks North America, Inc., was released in January 2007 and indicated that a combined CWS and ACC bundled safety system would account for a statistically significant reduction in rear-end crashes through reduced exposure to safety-critical driving scenarios.
In November 2005, the DOT entered into a cooperative research agreement with a private consortium led by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to build and field test an integrated vehicle-based safety system (IVBSS) designed to prevent rear-end, lane-change, and run-off-the-road crashes. From November 2005 to April 2008 (the first phase of the IVBSS program), activities focused on system specification and the design, development, and construction of prototype vehicles. The next phase of the program included plans for a field operational test (FOT) using 16 passenger cars and 10 commercial trucks equipped with a prototype integrated crash avoidance system that includes forward crash, lateral drift, and lane-change/merge warnings. Testing is expected to be completed in 2010. The purpose of the FOT is to evaluate the suitability of a state-of-the-art integrated CWS for widespread deployment in the U.S. passenger car and commercial truck fleets.
In 2006, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the American Trucking Associations' Technology and Maintenance Council, completed functional specifications and recommended practices for ACC and forward collision warning (FCW) systems. The specifications provide driver-vehicle interface requirements and guidance on the following: pre-crash scenarios an FCW system should detect, detection distance, human factors, and operational use by drivers and fleets. The FMCSA initiated research to evaluate the use of FCW, lane departure warning, and electronic stability control in truck fleets in 2009. The study is scheduled for completion in 2011.
In July 2008, NHTSA announced final enhancements to its government safety ratings program for passenger vehicles (commonly known as NCAP); these enhancements include providing information for the first time on selected crash avoidance technologies so that consumers can use the information in their purchasing decisions. The technologies to be highlighted include the following: electronic stability control, two CWSs, and forward crash and lane departure. Test protocols to ensure minimum levels of performance-such as the pre-crash scenarios that the systems should detect, detection distance, and the timing of alerts-were included in the final decision notice. Manufacturers must meet the performance test minimum levels in order to gain NCAP credit for their systems. NHTSA continues to study the human factor issues associated with these and other warning systems to determine best practices for the type and mode of warning.
NHTSA, along with its cooperative partners the Federal Highway Administration, the FMCSA, and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, continues to work consistently, although slowly, on this important technological safety issue. The preliminary results of the testing on advanced safety systems are encouraging, but rulemaking is needed to ensure uniformity of system performance standards (such as obstacle detection, timing of alerts, and human factors guidelines) on new passenger and commercial vehicles.
Develop performance standards for enhanced vehicle safety technology in new passenger and commercial vehicles.
H-01-6 (NHTSA)
Issued May 25, 2001
Added to the Most Wanted List: 2007
Status: Open-Acceptable Response
Complete rulemaking on adaptive cruise control and collision warning system performance standards for new commercial vehicles. At a minimum, these standards should address obstacle detection, timing of alerts, and human factors guidelines, such as the mode and type of warning. (Source: Vehicle - and Infrastructure-based Technology for the Prevention of Rear-End Collisions. [NTSB/SIR-01/01])
H-01-8 (NHTSA)
Issued May 25, 2001
Added to the Most Wanted List: 2007
Status: Open-Acceptable Response
Complete rulemaking on adaptive cruise control and collision warning system performance standards for new passenger vehicles. At a minimum, these standards should address obstacle detection, timing of alerts, and human factors guidelines, such as the mode and type of warning. (Source: Vehicle - and Infrastructure-based Technology for the Prevention of Rear-End Collisions. [NTSB/SIR-01/01])
