WTI

Advanced Vehicle-Based Countermeasures for Alcohol-Related Crashes

Primary Investigator Contact Information

External Project Contact(s)

Report(s)

There are no reports associated with this project.

Project Objective

To develop and evaluate vehicle-based countermeasures for alcohol impairment

Project Abstract

Despite persistent effort at the local, state, and federal levels, alcohol-related crashes still account for 39% of traffic fatalities. Vehicle-based countermeasures have the potential to address this problem and save thousands of lives each year. Driving simulators provide an ideal platform to safely develop countermeasures and assess their potential. Vehicle-based countermeasures depend on developing an algorithm that uses driver performance to assess impairment. The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa is conducting a project for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to collect the data needed to develop an algorithm sensitive to alcohol impairment. This experimental plan for data collection will support the development of algorithms to estimate alcohol impairment in real time. Data collection will involve multiples of 54 drivers from three age groups (21-34, 38-51, and 55-68 years of age) driving on three types of roadways (urban, freeway, and rural) at three levels of alcohol concentration (0.00%, 0.05%, and 0.10% BAC). The scenarios used for this data collection were selected so that they were both representative of alcohol-impaired driving and sensitive to alcohol impairment. Through this project, NADS will develop a research plan document containing three sections: 1) considerations and requirements for selecting scenarios that are both representative of alcohol impaired driving situations and sensitive to the effects of alcohol impairment; 2) the experimental plan that describes the methods used to collect data for algorithm development; 3) the evaluation of this experimental design with a plan for the pilot testing. For this project, WTI will conduct specific subtasks for the University of Iowa related to review and evaluation of the scenarios and experimental plan.

Task Descriptions

1. Review experimental plan
   1. Researchers will review the preliminary experimental plan and submit suggested changes.
2. Scenario development meeting
   1. Researchers will develop a short report for NADS describing potential scenarios and scenario considerations based on data collection requirements for impairment detection.
3. Define dependent measures
   1. Researchers will develop and submit a short report describing variables needed for detection algorithms.
4. Scenario verification meeting
   1. Researchers will meet with NADS staff members to discuss and resolve potential scenario concerns.
5. Define alcohol-sensitive variables and sensing technologies
   1. Researchers will develop a report updating the variables identified in previous tasks, and describing currently available technologies for sensing alcohol impairment.
6. Review revised experimental plan
   1. Researchers will review and suggest changes to the updated experimental plan.
7. Compile algorithm specifications
   1. Researchers will compile specifications for absolute and relative impairment detection algorithms based on the European research to date. The report will include descriptions of input variables, thresholds, and potential algorithms.
8. Final report review
   1. Researchers will serve on the review panel of the project draft final report, and submit recommended changes.

Milestones, Dates, Schedule

Student Involvement

False

Relationship to Other Research Projects

False

Technology Transfer Activities

False

TRB Keywords

Human factors, driving simulator, alcohol impairment, driver performance, blood alcohol content

Partners

National Advanced Driving Simulator, University of Iowa