The most difficult at-fault fatal crashes to avoid with current active safety technology

Area of Science:

• Road Safety Research
• Automotive Engineering
• Human Factors in Transportation

Background:

• Current advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), up to SAE Level 2 automation, are increasingly common in passenger vehicles.
• Understanding the limitations of these systems in preventing fatal crashes is crucial for future automotive safety development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine which fatal at-fault crashes would persist despite current ADAS (SAE Level 2).
• To quantify the frequency of these unavoidable fatal crashes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of passenger cars registered in Finland (2010-2017).
• Utilized national vehicle and driver data for mileage and registration counts.
• Analyzed fatal at-fault crashes using registry data and case-by-case investigation.
• Incorporated real-world reference technology and field tests for active safety system performance.

Main Results:

• 113 fatal at-fault crashes involving study cars were analyzed; 58 were classified as 'unavoidable'.
• Key factors in 'unavoidable' crashes included suicides (36%), active driver input (36%), and conditions exceeding system performance (17%).
• The incidence rate for 'unavoidable' fatal crashes was 0.76-0.80 per billion kilometers.

Conclusions:

• Current active safety systems face limitations due to suicides, driver actions, and environmental challenges.
• The study provides a theoretical benchmark for automated driving systems and their potential crash rates.
• Further research should consider system usability and driver acceptance for real-world applicability.