The development of advanced information technology has made it possible to implement the concept of steer-by-wire for road vehicles. This means that no mechanical links between the control element and the front wheels will be necessary and the conventional steering wheel can be replaced by a joystick. A positive effect on the nature of driver injuries arriving from the steering wheel could be expected. In the paper this view is backed by results from analyses of the injuries sustained by the restrained drivers that strike the steering wheel in a crash. It is shown that the wheel is amongst the most frequent causes of head and torso injury in frontal collisions. These injuries are found to increase the likelihood of death and are most common when the steering wheel intrudes into the passenger compartment. The removal of the steering wheel has the potential to reduce life-threatening injuries sustained by drivers to a level similar to front seat passengers; and to eliminate the frequent less severe facial injuries caused by steering wheel contact. The qualitative change of the control element characteristics, both physically and dynamically, will influence the primary driving task. A steer-by-wire system removes the mechanical backup system in the closed loop of driver and vehicle, and means to meet the necessary requirements on system safety are discussed. Finally the aspects of useability and user acceptance are treated, partly based on the experiences from the design and preliminary tests of an experimental steer-by-wire car. (A)
Abstract