North Carolina Department of Transportation
Research & Innovation Summit – 2021

Effect of Level 1 and Level 2 Connected and Automated Vehicles on Fatal Crashes

Authors: Hardik Gajera M.Tech, Srinivas S. Pulugurtha, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, and Sonu Mathew, Ph.D.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Introduction

  • Motor vehicle crashes are one of the top ten causes of death, resulting in congestion and increasing safety concerns, in the United States
  • More than 94% of all motor vehicle crashes are caused by human error (NHTSA)
  • Factors influencing fatal crashes
  • Geometry-related features: Dimension of the median, side traffic barriers, speed limit, road infrastructure, highway class, adverse weather conditions, and road surface type
  • Vehicle characteristics: safety equipment like seatbelt, airbag, antilock braking system
  • Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) have a potential to avoid possible crashes resulting from human errors
  • Limited studies in the past compared the safety effects of CAVs and level 0 vehicles using real-world crash data