From fly-by-wire to drive-by-wire: Safety implications of automation in vehicles

The purpose of this paper is to critically review the current trend in automobile engineering toward automation of many of the functions previously performed by the driver. Working on the assumption that automation in aviation represents the basic model for driver automation, the costs and benefits of automation in aviation are explored as a means of establishing where automation of drivers' tasks are likely to yield benefits. It is concluded that there are areas where automation can provide benefits to the driver, but there are other areas where this is unlikely to be the case. Automation per se does not guarantee success, and therefore it becomes vital to involve Human Factors into design to identify where automation of driver functions can be allocated with a beneficial outcome for driving performance

EFFECT OF SHORT-STORAGE HRGCs ON DRIVER DECISION BEHAVIOR AND SAFETY CONCERNS: REAL-WORLD ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE

Vehicle-train collisions at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) continue to be a safety concern, and despite improvements in warnings, many of these incidents are attributed to human error. In some cases, distractions other than railroad traffic, such as HRGCs with limited space between the railroad tracks and the highway intersection, may create additional cognitive burdens for drivers. We investigated the effect of HRGC type (short-storage vs. non-short storage) on driver attention and decision-making in two studies. In Study 1, we systematically analyzed 996 incidents from 2017-2019 from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Safety database. Driver decision making and outcomes were different depending on HRGC type, with more train strikes in short storage incidents, as opposed to vehicle strikes. Study 2 was a controlled lab experiment in which drivers identified safety concerns in driving images. Drivers reported more safety concerns, and rated them more important in images of short-storage HRGCs than non-short storage HRGCs. This pattern did not depend on their rural or urban driving experience. Eye-tracking analysis found some differences in search behavior depending on the type of HRGC. This research contributes to a new area of research in rail safety, as studies comparing the two types of HRGCs have previously not been done. Interventions for non-short-storage HRGCs may not apply to short-storage HRGCs if it is found that drivers approach them differently

Distractions for motorcyclists caused by acute mental disturbances: A Sri Lankan Study

A motorcycle/motorbike accident is a collective outcome of human and nonhuman factors. The possible contribution of acute mental disturbances resulting in motorcycle accidents was poorly studied in Sri Lanka. As a result, the purpose of this study was to study the potential contribution of acute mental disturbances/psychological disturbances resulting in accidents or collisions. A few other specific objectives included determining the place of the accident, speed and related demographics, and the severity of the road rage. The acute mental disturbance was defined by five components: the presence or absence of road rage, consumption of alcohol or substance abuse, having a problem with friends or at the workplace, having a problem at home, and an unspecified mental disturbance and or tiredness. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to study these aspects with the participation of 2500 patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Each participant completed a questionnaire administered by an interviewer. There were n=2151 males, and the majority of victims were in the age group of 20-30 years, accounting for 28%. 5% of drivers had encountered road rage. 45% of the population reported experiencing at least one of the acute mental disturbances. 12% (n=291) had revealed that they had consumed alcohol or any other substance within the 24 hours of the incident. There was a statistical significance between the experiencing of acute mental disturbance and the speed, age and the place of the accident though there wasn’t a statistical significance between the sex. The mental state at the time of a road traffic injury is worth investigating as revealed by this study because it may be possible to find remedial actions through behavioural, attitudinal, educational and infrastructure changes. KEYWORDS: Motorbike/motorcycle, Motorcyclist/driver, Acute mental disturbance, Road rage, Driver distraction, Acute psychological disturbanc

State v. Ellington Clerk\u27s Record v. 4 Dckt. 33843

https://digitalcommons.law.uidaho.edu/idaho_supreme_court_record_briefs/1339/thumbnail.jp

Methodology to assess safety effects of future Intelligent Transport Systems on railway level crossings

There is consistent evidence showing that driver behaviour contributes to crashes and near miss incidents at railway level crossings (RLXs). The development of emerging Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure technologies is a highly promising approach to improve RLX safety. To date, research has not evaluated comprehensively the potential effects of such technologies on driving behaviour at RLXs. This paper presents an on-going research programme assessing the impacts of such new technologies on human factors and drivers’ situational awareness at RLX. Additionally, requirements for the design of such promising technologies and ways to display safety information to drivers were systematically reviewed. Finally, a methodology which comprehensively assesses the effects of in-vehicle and road-based interventions warning the driver of incoming trains at RLXs is discussed, with a focus on both benefits and potential negative behavioural adaptations. The methodology is designed for implementation in a driving simulator and covers compliance, control of the vehicle, distraction, mental workload and drivers’ acceptance. This study has the potential to provide a broad understanding of the effects of deploying new in-vehicle and road-based technologies at RLXs and hence inform policy makers on safety improvements planning for RLX

How to Avoid Collisions between Cyclists and Motorists in Urban Areas

Using a bicycle as a means of transportation is becoming more common in cities. Protecting the safety of cyclists in complex urban environments is important. This paper discusses user research, collisions analysis, and environment. Then, the article expounds by providing the different perspectives of cyclists and motorists. Analyzing the accidents of bicycles, how to effectively avoid collisions will significantly solve the safety problems of cyclists. In terms of solutions, this paper considers theoretical methods and existing products available. It then recommends a visibility system and proposes a visibility system to enhance visibility and avoid unpredictable behavior. The whole system makes cyclists conspicuous to reduce the collisions between cyclists and motorists

The effectiveness of operation lifesaver in reducing railroad-highway grade crossing accidents

Typescript (photocopy).Operation Lifesaver is an education, enforcement, and engineering program designed to reduce accidents at railroad-highway grade crossings. There are more than 400,000 public and private grade crossings in the United States, and these are the sites of 1,000 fatalities and 12,000 accidents annually. The reported research analyzed the results of the Operation Lifesaver programs in Illinois and Georgia, as compared to the accident experience in California and North Carolina--states that did not implement Operation Livesaver. In addition, the accident experience of Illinois was evaluated against the United States (with other Operation Lifesaver states subtracted) as a further comparison. The impact of Operation Lifesaver was analyzed using the Box-Jenkins time series analysis. The results of the research showed a significant reduction of 34.36 accidents per month in Illinois after the implementation of Operation Lifesaver, while California had a non-significant reduction of 3.03 per month during the same time. Neither state showed a significant reduction in grade crossing fatalities. Georgia experienced a significant reduction of 2.46 fatalities per month after the introduction of Operation Lifesaver, while North Carolina had a non-significant reduction of 0.57 fatalities per month during the same time. Because of reporting changes, it was impossible to measure the impact of Operation Lifesaver on grade crossing accidents in Georgia. The results of the comparison of the accident experience of Illinois with the United States showed a significant reduction of 34.36 accidents per month in Illinois, as compared to an increase of 9.84 accidents in the United States during the same time. The research concluded that Operation Lifesaver reduced railroad-highway grade crossing accidents in Illinois and fatalities in Georgia. For these reasons, the national adoption of this program is recommended

NATURALISTIC DRIVING DATABASE DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS OF CRASH AND NEAR-CRASH TRAFFIC EVENTS IN HONOLULU

Dashboard cameras and sensors were installed in 233 taxi vans on Oahu, Hawaii which produced several hours of events classified as naturalistic driving data (NDD) in a period of seven months between fall 2019 and spring 2020. The study achieved its objectives to: (1) collect data from NDD events where driving maneuvers caused an acceleration of 0.5g or higher; (2) develop a database suitable for statistical analysis; (3) derive basic statistics for all variables; (4) investigate correlations between variables; and (5) further investigate correlations (which may represent causality effects) for the most frequent types of events, using stepwise linear regression models. The database included a total of 402 harsh events, of which were 398 near-crashes and four were crashes. Several variables such as road, environmental, driver and vehicle characteristics were coded for each event. The installation of Samsara by the CTL company proved to be a successful tool for coaching drivers, and for providing useful insights into traffic safety factors relating to near-miss events

A preliminary review of fatigue among rail staff

Background: Fatigue is a severe problem in the rail industry, which may jeopardize train crew's health and safety. Nonetheless, a preliminary review of all empirical evidence for train crew fatigue is still lacking. The aim of the present paper is, therefore, to provide a preliminary description of occupational fatigue in the rail industry. This paper reviews the literature with the research question examining the risk factors associated with train crew fatigue, covering both papers published in refereed journals and reports from trade organizations and regulators. It assesses the progress of research on railway fatigue, including research on the main risk factors for railway fatigue, the association between fatigue and railway incidents, and how to better manage fatigue in the railway industry. Methods: Systematic searches were performed in both science and industry databases. The searches considered studies published before August 2017. The main exclusion criterion was fatigue not being directly measured through subjective or objective methods. Results: A total of 31 studies were included in the main review. The causes of fatigue included long working hours, heavy workload, early morning or night shifts, and insufficient sleep. Poor working environment, particular job roles, and individual differences also contributed to fatigue. Conclusion: Fatigue in the rail industry includes most of the features of occupational fatigue, and it is also subject to industry-specific factors. The effect of fatigue on well-being and the fatigued population in the railway industry are still not clear. Future studies can consider associations between occupational risk factors and perceived fatigue by examining the prevalence of fatigue and identifying the potential risk factors in staff within the railway industry