Safety and Security
Crash Avoidance
Collisions, injuries, and fatalities associated with human error can now be prevented using built-in safety features and advanced technologies. We have been at the leading edge of advanced transportation safety research for many years. Transportation systems are now being designed with built-in safety features ranging from physical structures to intelligent controls. Our work in interactive safety features is illustrated by the following examples:
Positive Train Control (PTC) System
For the FRA, we helped to develop the Positive Train Control (PTC) system. PTC is a highly automated system to locate the position of every train at any given time, thereby preventing collisions. Our work on vehicle positioning is an important contribution to PTC. As part of this effort, we are researching Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems, a method for vehicle tracking that incorporates an onboard device and a wireless data link.
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Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) System
For NHTSA, we performed an independent evaluation of the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system in automobiles. In contrast to vehicles equipped with conventional cruise control, the ICC system automatically maintains a set distance from a preceding vehicle. When in traffic, the ICC-equipped vehicles do not require drivers to manually engage, disengage, or reset velocities.
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