Virtual Barriers for Mitigating and Preventing Run-off Road Crashes – Phase II

Run-off-road (ROR) crashes result in over 10,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of injuries, and cost billions of dollars annually, which are borne by the U.S. taxpayers. Some ROR crashes could be prevented with advanced forms of driver-assist technologies. A Virtual Barrier system is proposed, which wirelessly communicates the road geometry and optimal travel path to vehicles. The Virtual Barrier system would consist of a network of sensors and radios that interact with vehicle radios and broadcasting road coordinates. The vehicle guidance systems can then determine if current travel conditions (direction and velocity) are conducive for to remain within the lane. Vehicles which are equipped with “smart” guidance devices, such as electronically-assisted steering, throttle, and braking, may be able to prevent roadside departures from occurring, and vehicles which are not equipped with these Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) may issue audible or tactile warnings if ROR departures are predicted. Once implemented, the Virtual Barrier system should result in ROR crash reduction of approximately 50%, which could save approximately 5,000 lives per year.

• Record URL:
  http://matc.unl.edu/research/research_project.php?researchID=566

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $354478
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747107

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851
• Managing Organizations:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851
• Project Managers:

  Stearns, Amy

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Nebraska, Lincoln

  Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
  2200 Vine Street, Whittier Building
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0853
• Principal Investigators:

  Stolle, Cody

  Faller, Ronald

• Start Date: 20181010
• Expected Completion Date: 20191231
• Actual Completion Date: 20191231
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Source Data: 91994-30

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Driver support systems; Highway safety; Ran off road crashes; Warning systems; Wireless communication systems
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01692265
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747107
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Feb 5 2019 4:21PM