Driving Simulator Study Found a 22 Percent Crash Reduction with 50 Percent Vehicle Penetration Rate of Forward Collision Warning (FCW) Systems.
Simulation Study Evaluated the Effectiveness of Forward Collision Warning by Experimenting Serious Conflicts With and Without FCW Systems.
Connecticut, United States
DREDGE (Disaggregate Realistic Artificial Data Generator)—Design, Development, and Application for Crash Safety Analysis, Volume I
Summary Information
Traffic crashes are a major socioeconomic issue worldwide, with 38,824 fatalities in the US in 2020, according to NHTSA. Forward Collision Warning (FCW) systems, which provide visual, auditory, or tactile warnings, are effective in reducing rear-end collisions. This case study compared the number of serious conflicts between vehicles with and without FCW systems in driving simulations, testing drivers' responses to unexpected obstacles. The simulator had a full cab and a segmented screen. Additional equipment included a series of cameras, four projectors (rear, front, right-side, and left-side projections), and various screens to provide a high-fidelity virtual projection. All the equipment was owned and maintained by the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center located at UConn. The study recruited 142 participants within the Connecticut area in 2023, with 133 completing the experiment.
METHODOLOGY
Among the participants, 41 percent were aged 18-29, 41 percent were aged 30-64, and 15 percent were 65 or older, all holding valid driver’s licenses and in good physical health. During the simulation experiment, participants were asked to follow the designated route as a recorded message that was broadcast through speakers in the car provided directions. The participants were presented with four scenarios to evaluate the impacts of an advanced Forward Collision warning (FCW) system on crash occurrence:
- Scenario 1: Urban setting plus entering car. A parked car suddenly pulls over into the path of the driver.
- Scenario 2: Urban setting plus pedestrian. A person suddenly crosses the road into the path of the driver.
- Scenario 3: Rural setting plus animal. A deer crosses into the path of the driver.
- Scenario 4: Rural setting plus pedestrian. A small child crosses the road unexpectedly.
FINDINGS
- The results from the driving simulator case study indicated crash reductions of five to 22 percent, depending on the penetration rate for the utilization of FCW systems in vehicles (ranging from ten to 50 percent penetration).
- For Scenario 1, the study found that, when the FCW penetration rate is ten percent, a four-percent reduction in crashes was expected, with a 17-percent reduction at a 50-percent penetration rate.
- In the case of Scenario 2, a six-percent crash reduction was estimated for a ten-percent penetration rate, with a 27-percent reduction expected when the penetration rate of FCW was at 50-percent.
- Scenario 3 indicated a three-percent crash reduction rate for the penetration rate being ten percent, and a 15-percent reduction when the penetration rate was at 50 percent.
- Scenario 4 estimated a five-percent reduction in crashes for a FCW system penetration rate of ten percent, and a 25-percent reduction in crashes when the penetration was at 50 percent.
- In summary, the study found that as the overall penetration rate increased, the number of crashes decreased.
