Toward harmonizing prospective effectiveness assessment for road safety: Comparing tools in standard test case simulations

Abstract

Objective: With the overall goal to harmonize prospective effectiveness assessment of active safety systems, the specific objective of this study is to identify and evaluate sources of variation in virtual precrash simulations and to suggest topics for harmonization resulting in increased comparability and thus trustworthiness of virtual simulation-based prospective effectiveness assessment. Methods: A round-robin assessment of the effectiveness of advanced driver assistance systems was performed using an array of state-of-the-art virtual simulation tools on a set of standard test cases. The results were analyzed to examine reasons for deviations in order to identify and assess aspects that need to be harmonized and standardized. Deviations between results calculated by independent engineering teams using their own tools should be minimized if the research question is precisely formulated regarding input data, models, and postprocessing steps. Results: Two groups of sources of variations were identified; one group (mostly related to the implementation of the system under test) can be eliminated by using a more accurately formulated research question, whereas the other group highlights further harmonization needs because it addresses specific differences in simulation tool setups. Time-to-collision calculations, vehicle dynamics, especially braking behavior, and hit-point position specification were found to be the main sources of variation. Conclusions:The study identified variations that can arise from the use of different simulation setups in assessment of the effectiveness of active safety systems. The research presented is a first of its kind and provides significant input to the overall goal of harmonization by identifying specific items for standardization. Future activities aim at further specification of methods for prospective assessments of the effectiveness of active safety, which will enhance comparability and trustworthiness in this kind of studies and thus contribute to increased traffic safety.

Holistic pedestrian safety assessment for average males and females

“…For each virtual testing scenario, a baseline simulation (no driver reaction or AEB system intervention) was performed as well as a simulation with a virtual AEB system, described in Schachner et al ( 52 ). The AEB was calibrated to an individual system by using the following system parameters, which are in line with the suggestions of the Prospective Effectiveness Assessment for Road Safety (PEARS) consortium ( 53 ): Maximum sensor range in [m], Azimuth sensor opening angle [°], Azimuth sensor resolution [°], Trigger at which braking is induced – implemented based on Time to Collision (TTC) [s], Brake Delay [s] and Braking Gradient [m/s 3 ]. The parameters of the virtual AEB system were selected as described in Schachner et al ( 52 ).…”

Estimating the crash reducing effect of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for vulnerable road users

“…All studies used some type of virtual simulation, sometimes accompanied by test-track testing. The virtual simulation setup itself can influence the evaluation of the effect (Wimmer et al, 2019), and should therefore be considered when reviewing and interpreting the results. Some studies used simulation tools that were open source or available commercially (Abdel-Aty et al, 2022;Klug et al, 2018;Paéz et al, 2015;Schachner et al, 2020;Siebke et al, 2023;Zhao et al, 2019) and details are suggested to be found in referenced documents.…”

Collection and classification of influence parameters for safety effectiveness of ADAS

“…In an online survey (created with Google Form (Google, 2021)), 25 experts evaluated the importance of the influence parameters collected from four sources in the first phase and their potential influence on safety effectiveness of ADAS. Invitations will be extended to experts through the networks of EVU (European Association for Accident Research and Analysis), P.E.A.R.S consortium (Wimmer et al, 2019), Virtual Vehicle Research Center, TU Graz, and TU Darmstadt. The invited experts will be required to have a minimum of 3 years of experience in the corresponding research discipline, as outlined in Table 2.…”