During the winter of 1998-1999, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) along with Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) and Altra Technologies, Incorporated (ATI) completed its first year of testing, demonstration, and evaluation of a magnetic tape lateral guidance and warning system and a radar collision warning system. Preparations for a second year of testing have been completed. Mn/DOT and the University of Minnesota's ITS Institute (U of M ITS-I) have completed preparations for a similar test using differential GPS for lateral guidance and control. The latter test will be conducted in the winter of 1999-2000 as a pooled fund project in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Caltrans. The 1998-1999 testing was performed using a snowplow truck in an area of Minnesota that frequently experiences extreme weather with snow and blowing snow causing near zero visibility. If these technologies prove to be operator friendly and are deployed to the entire snowplow fleet, it is expected that the benefits in terms of crash savings and reduced delays to travelers could offset the cost of deployment in one to two years. The initial results indicate the two systems are functioning within the target specifications for their operation. The magnetic tape lateral guidance and warning system is detecting the tape and providing information to the snowplow operator about lateral position on the road surface. The collision warning system alerts the operator about obstacles on the lane ahead and on the right shoulder or adjacent right lane based on preset distance and time to impact parameters. The collision warning system also activates a set of high-intensity rear strobe lights when another vehicle approaches the snowplow from the rear at pre-selected proximity and closure settings. The paper describes the test, the evaluation methodologies and the results of the first winter. The paper also provides system descriptions and schedules for 1999-2000. This paper describes the demonstration site and vehicle; site, vehicle and driver preparation; and provides preliminary results of the testing that primarily focuses on the collision warning systems. Results of the lateral guidance system are not expected to be complete until after the winter of 1999-2000 test season. The paper supports a conclusion that eventual deployment of these technologies may significantly reduce accidents and increase snowplow productivity and reduce travel delay. (A*)
Samenvatting