An analytical study was performed to assess the safety-related performance of a class of vehicle crash avoidance (CA) systems. The simulation software package RORSIM was developed and used to predict the dynamic behaviour of a driver in a vehicle equipped with a CA system under Run-Off-Road (ROR) accident conditions. Simulation studies were performed to characterise the conflicting performance requirements for a CA system, i.e., that it warns of every incipient ROR event with a minimal false alarm rate. The results indicate that 1) CA systems are viable for preventing ROR accidents; 2) ROR warning criteria depend on parameters such as speed, roadway curvature, shoulder width and driver reaction time; and 3) RORSIM is an effective analytical tool for evaluating the safety-related dynamic performance of vehicles equipped with CA systems under a wide range of driving and road conditions. For the covering abstract see ITRD E116488.
Abstract