Improvement of safe stopping distance and accident risk coefficient based on active driver sight field on real road conditions

Abstract

In this paper, a new model based on factors of driver, vehicle and environment was developed to determine the ‘safe stopping distance’ of the vehicles, and tested on real road conditions by using equipment placed on the vehicle. The new stopping distance model has been developed based on the stopping distance formula commonly used in the literature. Then, an ‘active driver sight field’ was created considering effect of factors of driver, vehicle and environment. The safe field of view of driver, the safe escape area and safe stopping distance value of vehicle was transferred continuously during driving to the driver through the driver information screen positioned on front console in vehicle cockpit. In addition, a new approach has been developed to evaluate possible accident risks by using relationship between the safe escape area of the vehicle and the safe field of view of the driver. As a result, generalised stopping distance formula was yielded results closer to the actual road results, when expanded by using factors of driver, vehicle and environment. It was determined that obtained accident risk coefficients could be used to detection of accident risk with minor errors that especially at low speeds up to 60 km/h.