Rear-end collision escape algorithm for intelligent vehicles supported by vehicular communication

To reduce rear-end collision risks and improve traffic safety, a novel rear-end collision escape algorithm is proposed for intelligent vehicles supported by vehicular communication. Numerous research has been carried out on rear-end collision avoidance. Most of these studies focused on maintaining a safe front clearance of a vehicle while only few considered the vehicle’s rear clearance. However, an intelligent vehicle may be collided by a following vehicle due to wrong manoeuvres of an unskilled driver of the following vehicle. Hence, it is essential for an intelligent vehicle to maintain a safe rear clearance when there is potential for a rear-end collision caused by a following vehicle. In this study, a rear-end collision escape algorithm is proposed to prevent rear-end collisions by a following vehicle considering both straight and curved roads. A trajectory planning method is designed according to the motions of the considered intelligent vehicle and the corresponding adjacent vehicles. The successive linearization and the Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithms are used to design a motion controller in the proposed algorithm. Simulations were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm is effective in preventing rear-end collisions caused by a following vehicle. First published online 18 January 202

Minimum Intersection Illumination

20-3SASIO No. DOTLT1000373Numerous prior studies indicated that street lighting improves nighttime traffic safety. However, lighting at unsignalized intersections (e.g., stop-controlled intersections and roundabouts) is not mandatory in some states such as Louisiana. This study aimed to examine whether Louisiana has traffic safety problems due to lack of lighting at its rural and suburban roundabouts and stop-controlled intersections. Underlying this goal, this study set out to (1) record the lessons learned from other states that had implemented partial or full lighting policies or other potentially low-cost countermeasures at their intersections; (2) explore whether the lighting at intersections has a significant impact on the behavior and safety of drivers; and (3) determine the viability of installing lighting at these types of intersections in Louisiana. To achieve these goals, four different approaches were employed: (1) crash data analysis, (2) online national survey among professionals working at the departments of transportation (DOTs) in the US, (3) driving simulator experiment, and (4) cost-benefit analysis