Research on a brake assist system with a preview function 2001-06-0209
Traffic accidents in Japan claim some 10,000 precious lives
every year, and there is seemingly no end to the problem. In an
effort to overcome this situation, vehicle manufacturers have been
pushing ahead with the development of a variety of advanced safety
technologies. Joint public- private sector projects related to
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are also proceeding
vigorously.
Most accidents can be attributed to driver error in recognition,
judgment or vehicle operation. This paper presents an analysis of
driver behavior characteristics in emergency situations that lead
to an accident, focusing in particular on operation of the brake
pedal. Based on the insights gained so far, we have developed a
Brake Assist System with a Preview Function (BAP) designed to
prevent accidents by helping drivers with braking actions.
Experimental results have confirmed that BAP is effective in
reducing the impact speed and the frequency of accidents in
emergency situations.