Connected electric vehicles: Vehicle-pedestrian communications to enhance vision impaired pedestrian safety

The steady increase of electric vehicles (EVs) on roadways has led to safety concerns for vulnerable populations. The electric motor utilized in EVs produces considerably less noise compared to the internal combustion engine (ICE) in gasoline-powered vehicles, especially when traveling at slow speeds. Although pedestrians across all demographics are at risk, visually impaired pedestrians face significantly greater disadvantages in environments where ambient noise levels are high in relation to EV noise output. A major reason for this is because they depend on auditory cues to discern traffic flow when making life-threatening decisions such as crossing complex intersections or walking through city streets. Considering traffic data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the aim of the proposed research is to improve the lives of vulnerable pedestrians by determining the effects of different vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) alert systems on signal-response times. This study seeks to: (1) identify and evaluate modes by which V2P systems can be effectively implemented for use in urban street crossing environments; (2) determine the efficacy of V2P systems in relation to pedestrian reaction time; and (3) obtain evidence to support the need for non-intrusive V2P alert systems as a safety precaution for vulnerable road users.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $224998
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747125

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility

  North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
  Greensboro, NC  United States  27411

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Roan, Michael

  Patrick, Rafael

• Performing Organizations:

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
  3500 Transportation Research Plaza
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24061
• Principal Investigators:

  Roan, Michael

  Patrick, Rafael

• Start Date: 20210301
• Expected Completion Date: 20220430
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Connected vehicles; Electric vehicles; Pedestrian safety; Visually impaired persons; Warning systems
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01784519
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advanced Transportation Mobility
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747125
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Oct 12 2021 11:34AM