The automobile industries has already made considerable progress toward improved safety by making cars easier to operate. Mechanical devices such as automatic chokes and transmissions have freed the driver of operations which could distract him from his primary function of observing the driving situation and directing the course and of his car. Power boosted brakes and steering have reduced the effort required and improved control in emergencies. Electronic devices promise to contribute importantly to accident prevention in the coming years and I would like to discuss a few specific applications. These fall generally into three categories: (1) Use of electronic equipment to better understand vehicle dynamic control characteristics, (2) Electronics instrumentation for the study of driver-car interrelations and driver performance, (3) Electronic devices applied to car operation - to improve manual control, provide partial or complete automatic operation, and to provide driver information in the most suitable form.
Abstract