1. Ian Fraser
Highways
Agency
Co-operative Vehicle - Highway
Systems Research
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2. What is AHS?
An Automated Highway System is a vehicle and road based system that can drive
a vehicle automatically.
This is done using sensors that serve as the vehicle’s eyes,
determining lane position and the speed and location of other vehicles.
Actuators on the throttle, brake, and steering wheel give the vehicle the commands
that a driver normally would.
AHS vehicles often also have equipment to communicate with other AHS
vehicles.
The concept of an Automated Highway has been around for a long time.
General Motors displayed a working model of an automated highway at the 1939
World’s Fair in New York City [8]. Automated trains have been in use since the 1960’s.
But it has not been until recently that the technology has become available to build
Automated highways and vehicles
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3. Why Automated Highways?
Safety
Ninety percent of all vehicle accidents result from driver-related factors –
inattentiveness, inability to respond quickly enough, or bad driving decisions [1].
Over 40,000 people die annually in motor vehicle accidents and property
damage is estimated at over $150 billion .
Electronic systems that never take over some or all of the
driver’s responsibilities are the most promising method of reducing these
accidents.
Analyses of causes show that highway accidents could be reduced between 31
and 85
percent with the use of electronic collision avoidance technologies and fatal
crashes
could be reduced by at least 50 percent .
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4. AHS was at that time called Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS).
Falling under the general category of ITS, the stated goals of the system were:
5.Enhancement of surface transportation efficiency
2. Achievement of national transportation safety goals
3. Protection and enhancement of the natural environment and communities affected by
surface transportation
4. Accommodation of the needs of all users of surface transportation systems
5. Improvement of the Nation’s ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters
Because these goals were so broad, the US Department of Transportation
(USDOT) formed the Joint Program Office (JPO) which brought together the Federal
Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and several other DOT administrations. From 1992-1994, only
research and analysis on IVHS was done. Engineers mainly worked on human factors
research and traffic safety analysis.
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5. History of AHS :
AHS from 1992-94:
In 1991, Congress passed the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act (ISTEA) which introduced funding for many Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS).
The Secretary shall develop an automated highway and vehicle
prototype from which future fully automated intelligent vehicle
highway systems can be developed.
Such development shall include research in human factors
to ensure the success of the man-machine relationship .
The goal of this program is to have the first fully automated
roadway or an automated test track in operation by 1997.
This system shall accommodate installation of equipment
in new and existing motor vehicles.
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6. Efficiency:
The National highway system carries eighty-nine percent of passenger
groundmiles traveled and thirty-two percent of the ton-miles of commercial
freight travel .
The number of vehicles on the roads has doubled in the last ten years while
highway capacity has for the most part, remained the same.
Consequently, the average speed on urban highways and crowded corridors
during rush hour is 36 miles per hour.
This loss of time and productivity costs the US $50 billion annually .
One solution that engineers are exploring now is an Automated Highway
System (AHS).
By reducing or eliminating driver error and placing cars more closely together
safely on the highways, highway throughput could be doubled or tripled.
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7. UK Position on CVHS
 The UK is currently considering the role that
Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Systems can play
on its roads.
 The Department of Transport, Local Government
& Regions (DTLR), and the Highways Agency,
alongside other UK Agency organisations have set
up a discussion forum to develop policy and
direction in this area.
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8. Shaping Direction
 Developing the business case and direction for
longer term CVHS research, leading to system
development, demonstration and implementation
– Guided by Highways Agency 2030 Vision
– Building upon the inheritance of earlier research
– Road Traffic Advisor
– User Acceptance Studies
– Foresight Vehicle Programme + EU Initiatives
– Developing CVHS in partnership with stakeholder
organisations
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9. Shaping & Integrating CVHS
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
& MARKET DEMAND Partnerships
Interurban
LEGAL AUTOMOTIVE SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC
Urban COMMUNICATION National
USER NEEDS &
APPLICATIONS
& REGULATION
& SERVICES
INNOVATION
SAFETY
POLICY
IMPLIMENTATION
INTEGRATION
European
INFRASTRUCTURE
Multimodal DEVELOPMENT ITS
LIABILITY
ENVIRONMENT Worldwide
POLITICAL AGENDA
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10. Route - Guidance
Driver Information
A Target Capability?
Road User Charging
Floating Car Data
Intelligent Speed Adaptation
Electronic Number Plate Recognition
Longitudinal Vehicle Control
Lateral Vehicle Control
Collision Avoidance
Driver Monitoring
Integrated Solutions
Fully Automated Highway
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11. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems
IEE International Conference on
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Held on 17 September 2001
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12. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems:
 Approach
 Three stages of AHS development:
- Safety and Warning Systems
- Driver Assistance Systems
- Fully Automated Highway
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13. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems:
Approach
 International Review
 Focus Groups
 Structured Survey
 Seminar and Strategy Workshop
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14. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems:
Overview
 Broad acceptance of all three stages of
AHS development
 Important variations in attitude among
different social groups
 Degree of acceptance varied between the
three stages of AHS development
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15. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems
Safety and Warning Systems
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16. Safety and Warning Systems:
Description
Provide information/warnings visually or
by voice to:
 inform drivers of adverse conditions
 assist route guidance/navigation
 warn of dangerous situations or collisions
 warn of obstacles which a driver cannot
see
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17. Safety and Warning Systems:
Examples
 RDS
 Tachographs
 TrafficMaster
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18. Safety and Warning Systems:
Main Findings (1)
 50% of drivers already use some form of
these systems which they consider to be:
- useful
- reliable
- good value
 presentation of the information by voice
is preferred to visual means
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19. Safety and Warning Systems:
Main Findings (2)
 70% of drivers say they would find the
systems useful:
- on unfamiliar journeys
- at night
- on motorways
- in congested traffic
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20. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems
Driver Assistance Systems
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21. Driver Assistance Systems:
Description
Assist driver’s steering, braking and
acceleration to:
 prevent drivers from exceeding the speed
limit
 keep the vehicle at a safe distance from the
vehicle in front
 stop and park the vehicle safely if the driver
is unfit to drive
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22. Driver Assistance Systems:
Examples
 Cruise Control
 Advanced Cruise Control
 Headway Control
 Traction Control
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23. Driver Assistance Systems:
Main Findings (1)
 40% of drivers already use some form of
these systems which they consider to be:
- useful
- reliable
- good value
 stop and park was the most popular
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24. Driver Assistance Systems:
Main Findings (2)
Perceived benefits include:
 increased driver confidence
 increased feeling of safety
 increased driver comfort
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25. Driver Assistance Systems:
Main Findings (3)
 headway control was also popular but there
was concern (especially from younger
drivers) about:
- surrendering control
- over-reliance
- system reliability
 speed control was the least popular
 many drivers prefer voluntary systems to
compulsory systems
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26. User Attitudes to Automated
Highway Systems
Fully Automated Highway
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27. Fully Automated Highway:
Description
Systems in which:
 vehicles are fully automated such that the
driver operates neither steering nor brake
nor accelerator
 all vehicles travel at the same speed
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28. Fully Automated Highway:
Examples
 Smart Cruise
System 7
(Japan)
 Platooning
(Korea)
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29. Fully Automated Highway:
Main Findings (1)
 60% of drivers said they would use AHS but
the least willing were the younger drivers
 perceived benefits were:
- no delays
- ability to schedule journeys better
- speed uniformity
 there was little interest in:
- operation at higher speed
- use of the vehicle as an office
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30. Fully Automated Highway:
Likely responses Main Findings (2)
Would make
more motorway
journeys
21%
Would not use
the motorway
4%
Would use other
transport which
is not automated
4%
Would continue
with no effect
71%
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31. Fully Automated Highway:
Main Findings (3)
 there were concerns about:
- system reliability (especially from younger
drivers and those familiar with technology)
- surrendering control
- cost to the vehicle owner and taxpayer
 likely to increase demand for motorway use,
but
 likely to reduce demand for motorway use if
used with tolls
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32. User Attitudes to Automated Highway
Systems :
Summary of Key Findings
 broad acceptance of all three stages of AHS
development
 important variations in attitude among
different social groups
 identified issues likely to affect levels of
social acceptance which should be
considered in the design and marketing of
AHS
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33. Seminar and Strategy
Workshop:
5-6 February 2001, ICE, London
 50 delegates attended
 papers presented by prominent experts in
the field (from Europe, Japan and the US)
 established contacts
 established authority of HA on world-stage
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34. User Attitudes to Automated Highway
Systems :
Acknowledgements
 Highways Agency
 Transport and Travel Research Ltd
 ITS Leeds University
 TRL Limited
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35. Conclusion :
Without the advantage of increased efficiency through platooning, the only
advantage of using automation in mixed traffic is improved safety.
Although safety is an important improvement, it may not be enough to justify
investment.
The cost/benefit ratio may be too low for government and consumers to
make an investment, especially since the value of added safety is difficult to
measure.
However, mixed traffic intelligent vehicles may be an important first step in
the use of AHS that will lead to the building of more and more dedicated
lanes.
Vehicles should be able to run in either scenario, but perhaps would have
some functions limited while driving in mixed traffic.
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