Integrated vehicle-based safety systems heavy truck field operational test, methodology and results report

Abstract

This document presents the methodology and results from the heavy-truck field operational test conducted as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems program. These findings are the result of analyses performed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to examine the effect of a prototype integrated crash warning system on driving behavior and driver acceptance. The heavy-truck platform included three integrated crash-warning subsystems (forward crash, lateral drift, and lane-change/merge crash warnings) installed on a fleet of 10 Class 8 tractors and operated by18 commercial drivers for 10 months. Each truck was instrumented to capture detailed data on the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Data on driver acceptance was collected through a post-drive survey and debriefings. The results indicate that integrated crash warning systems not only offer benefits relative to improved driver performance (e.g., improved headway keeping), but that the majority of commercial drivers accepted the system and reported subjective benefits from the integrated system they used. Of the drivers who participated, 15 out of 18 stated that they preferred a truck with the integrated system, stating that they would also recommend that their company consider the purchase of vehicles with integrated safety systems installed. No negative behavioral adaptation effects from the drivers‘ 10-month use of the integrated system were observed.