TFHRC Home > Safety > Safety Publications > Development of a Driver Vehicle Module (DVM) for the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM)
The Driver Vehicle Module (DVM) is a software tool that allows traffic engineers and highway designers to evaluate how a driver would operate a vehicle within the context of a specific roadway design and to identify whether conditions exist within that design that could result in loss of vehicle control. It was developed as a candidate evaluation module for the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM).
The DVM couples a vehicle dynamics model with a computational model of driver behavior. This model of driver behavior aims to simulate the driver's perceptual, cognitive, and control processes to generate steering, braking, and throttle vehicle inputs. It was primarily developed based on driver performance data collected during on-road instrumented vehicle driving sessions.
The development of this tool is part of an ongoing effort to increase the ability of traffic engineers and highway designers to provide a safer driving environment for the public.
Michael Trentacoste
Director, Office of Safety Research & Development
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1. Report No. FHWA-HRT-08-019 |
2. Government Accession No. |
3. Recipient's Catalog No. |
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4. Title and Subtitle Development of a Driver Vehicle Module (DVM) for the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) |
5. Report Date November 2007 |
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6. Performing Organization Code: |
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7. Author(s) William H. Levison, John L. Campbell, Kelli Kludt, Alvah C. Bittner, Jr., Ingrid Potts, Douglas W. Harwood, Jessica Hutton, David Gilmore, J. Gavin Howe, Jeffrey P. Chrstos, R. Wade Allen, Barry Kantowitz, Tom Robbins, and Chris Schreiner |
8. Performing Organization Report No. |
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9. Performing Organization Name and Address Battelle, Center for Human Performance and Safety 1100 Dexter Avenue N, Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98109 |
10. Work Unit No. |
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11. Contract or Grant No. |
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12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Office of Research and Technology Services Federal Highway Administration 6300 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22101-2296 |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report, May 2004 to December 2007 |
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14. Sponsoring Agency Code |
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15. Supplementary Notes |
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16. Abstract The Federal Highway Administration is currently developing an integrated set of software tools to improve highway design, the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM). The IHSDM is a suite of software analysis tools for evaluating safety and operational effects of geometric design decisions on two-lane rural highways. The IHSDM provides highway project planners, designers, and reviewers in State and local departments of transportation and engineering consulting firms with a suite of safety evaluation tools to support these assessments. As currently implemented in the latest public release version, the IHSDM includes the following five components: (1) Policy Review Module, (2) Design Consistency Module, (3) Crash Prediction Module, (4) Traffic Analysis Module, and (5) Intersection Review Module. A sixth module, the Driver Vehicle Module (DVM), is a candidate for future release. This report provides a complete technical description of the DVM. Specifically, it provides a description of the specification, verification, and calibration/validation of the DVM for the passenger vehicle and the heavy vehicle component, along with additional functionality enhancements. |
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17. Key Words Driver/Vehicle Module, IHSDM, Driver Performance Model |
18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. |
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19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified |
20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified |
21. No. of Pages 92 |
22. Price |
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Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) |
Reproduction of completed page authorized |
Purpose and Organization of this Report
SECTION 2. DESCRIPTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE DVM
SECTION 3. SPECIFICATION OF THE DVM
Halt Simulation upon Vehicle Rollover
Definition of Off-road Condition
Treatment of Curves that are Close Together
Specification for Modifying the Developmental DVM
Additions to the Output Data File
DVM parameters that are Selectable
Options Selectable by the User
Options Selectable by the System Administrator
SECTION 4. VERIFICATION, CALIBRATION, AND VALIDATION OF THE DVM
Test Software Implementation for the Heavy Vehicle.
Calibration/Validation of the Passenger Vehicle
Calibration/Validation Methods
Parameters for the Passenger Car Driver
Calibration/Validation of the Heavy Vehicle
Calibration/Validation Methods
Recommended Values for Driver Parameters
Validation of Vehicle Dynamics Model for Heavy Vehicle
SECTION 5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Key DVM Application Constraints
Cruise Control and Compound Curves
Driver Behavior on Short Tangents
Horizontal Sight-Distance Limitations
More Flexible Model for Curve Cutting
Effects of Driver Eye Height and Grade Differences on Curvature Estimation
Additional User Interface Enhancements
Enhance the DVM Output Information so that it Better Conforms to End-user needs
Develop New Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs) Based on Degree of Speed Change and Available SD
Add the ability to compare time histories from multiple model runs on the same graph
Recommendations for Using the DVM
Future R&D Recommendations for the DVM
APPENDIX A - DRIVER/VEHICLE CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
Figure 1. Information flow in the Driver Vehicle Model
Figure 2. Flow diagram of the computation of perceptual estimates
Figure 3. Diagram of the assumed path through a horizontal curve
Figure 4. Pseudo-code for calculating path decision
Figure 5. Flow diagram of an approximation to the path-regulation task
Figure 6. Simplified flow diagram of the speed decision logic
Figure 7. Pseudo-code for calculating speed control
Figure 8. Effects of posted speed on predicted speed profile
Figure 9. Speed profile for approach, negotiation, and exit of simple curve
Figure 10. Speed profile for closely-spaced reverse curve
Figure 11. Effect of grade changes on model predictions: Pedal deflection
Figure 12. Effect of grade changes on model predictions: speed
Figure 13. Effect of lane-keeping assumption on predicted lane deviation
Figure 14. X/Y plot of test route
Figure 16. Mean first and last speed profiles
Figure 18. Mean speed profile for four drivers
Figure 19. Mean +/- standard deviation of driver means
Figure 20. Predicted speed profile when reducing the lateral acceleration factor to 20
Table 1. Major roadway model elements used by the roadway geometrics component
Table 2. Standard driver configurations
Table 3. Array of posted speeds
Table 4. Properties of the simulated reverse curve
Table 5. Simulated grade profile
Table 6. Results of validation testing for the tests of critical assumption
Table 7. Results of validation testing for the tests of real-world predictive abilities
Table 8. Parameter values for two driver types
Table 9. Parameters of curves selected for estimating statistics of the lateral acceleration factor
Table 10. Replications of on-road data used for model analysis
Table 11. Summary of validation results for the heavy vehicle
Table 12. Parameters related to driver preference
Table 13. Initial list of DVM output improvements
Table 14. Sample presentation of alert levels
Table 15. Specifications for providing output comparisons
CR | county route |
DCM | Design Consistency Module |
DOT | Department of Transportation |
DVM | Driver Vehicle Module |
FHWA | Federal Highway Administration |
GPS | Global Positioning System |
IHSDM | Interactive Highway Safety Design Model |
MOE | measure of effectiveness |
PC | point of curvature |
power density function | |
PT | point of tangency |
sd | standard deviation |
SD | sight distance |
SR | state route |
STI | Systems Technology, Inc. |
URA | user requirements analysis |
VDANL | vehicle dynamics analysis, non linear |
VDM | Vehicle Dynamics Model |
VPI | vertical point of intersection |
VRTC | Vehicle Research Test Center |
VTTI | Virginia Tech Transportation Institute |
FHWA-HRT-08-019