The safety potential of connected vehicles

Abstract

Connected vehicle technology allows vehicles to send and receive information to and from one another, other road users and infrastructure. Although it is not yet available on any production vehicle, on-road trials are well under way. It is likely that connected vehicle technology will enter the market at a time when autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is becoming more common on new vehicles. The purpose of the present research was to estimate the safety benefits of connected vehicle technology in Australian conditions over and above what could be provided by AEB. The applications and limitations of connected vehicle technology were assessed by reviewing literature and consulting with a local developer of the technology. It was found that crash types that are poorly addressed by AEB such as right angle and right turn crashes and certain pedestrian crashes, are more likely to be addressed by connected vehicle applications. The safety benefits were calculated by applying a collision avoidance system model to simulations of real world crashes to determine the change in impact speed. It was found that the potential of connected vehicles to reduce crash risk is considerable, even in the presence of a sensor-based AEB system, and the uptake of such technology should be encouraged in ways that are shown to be cost effective.