ITERATE - IT for Error Remediation and Trapping Emergencies
Overview
Background & policy context:
In recent years, a variety of driver support and information management systems have been designed and implemented with the objective of improving safety as well as the performance of vehicles. While the crucial issues at a technical level have been mostly solved, their consequences on driver activity remains open and needs to be fully explained. Of particular importance are their effects on driver behaviour and strategies, and their impact on the operation and safety of the traffic system.
Objectives:
The objective of ITERATE was to develop and validate a unified model of driver behaviour (UMD) and driver interaction with innovation technologies in emergency situations. This model will be applicable to, and validated for, all the surface transport modes. Drivers age, gender, education and experience and culture (whether regional or company/organisational) are factors that will be considered together with influences from environment and the vehicle.
Methodology:
Such a unified model of driver behaviour will be of great use when designing innovative technologies since it will allow for assessment and tuning of the systems in a safe and controllable environment without actually putting them to use in real traffic.
At the concept stage, the model will guide designers in identifying potential problem areas whilst at the prototype stage, the model could inform on the scenarios to be used in system evaluation. In this way the systems will be better adapted to the drivers before being available on the market and will provide better support to the driver in emergency situations. Along the same lines, the model could be of use for authorities as a guide in assessing and approving innovative technologies without performing extensive simulator experiments or large-scale field trials.
ITERATE was based on the assumption that the underlying factors influencing human behaviour such as age, gender, culture etc. are constant between transport modes. This assumption allows a unified model of driver behaviour, applicable to all surface transport modes, to be developed. This was done within ITERATE and the model can be used to improve design and safety assessment of innovative technologies and make it possible to adapt these technologies to the abilities, needs, driving style and capacity of the individual driver. The model will also provide a useful tool for authorities to assess ITS which is missing today.
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