Pavement Perspective on AV Safety through Optimizing Lateral Positioning Pattern

Automated vehicles (AV) and connected vehicles (CV) are coming at a rapid pace with many potential advantages including fewer traffic collisions and increased accessibility. However, one aspect of AV/CV that has not received enough attention is AV/CV lane choice and positioning pattern. Currently, AV positions itself within a lane by keeping a fixed distance from the lane marker or other reference. From the pavement perspective this channelized traffic will create deeper wheel path ruts which potentially can lead to an increased risk of vehicle hydroplaning and other safety problems in wet weather conditions. This research project will evaluate this issue from a pavements perspective and develop guidelines for reducing AV/CV hydroplaning potential through optimizing a lateral wheel positioning pattern and designing more rut resistant pavement surfaces.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $420134
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747115

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Safety through Disruption University Transportation Center (Safe-D)

  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24060
• Project Managers:

  Harwood, Leslie

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135

  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

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

  Zhou, Fujie

• Start Date: 20170510
• Expected Completion Date: 20190830
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated highways; Hydroplaning; Intelligent vehicles; Pavement performance; Ruts (Pavements); Traffic crashes; Traffic lanes; Weather conditions; Wet weather
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01637955
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Safety through Disruption University Transportation Center (Safe-D)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747115
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 14 2017 2:28PM