Proposed collision warning system for right-turning vehicles at two-way stop-controlled rural intersections

Abstract

At two-way stop-controlled (TWSC) rural intersections, a right-turning driver who is departing the minor road may select an improper gap and subsequently may be involved in a rear-end collision with another vehicle approaching on the rightmost lane on the major road. This paper provides perceptual framework and algorithm design of a proposed infrastructure-based collision warning system that has the potential to aid unprotected right-turning drivers at TWSC rural intersections. The proposed system utilizes a radar sensor that measures the location, speed, and acceleration of the approaching vehicle on the major road. Based on these measurements, the system’s algorithm determines if there will be any potential conflict between the approaching and the turning vehicles and warns the driver of the latter vehicle if such a conflict is found. The algorithm is based on realistic acceleration profile of the turning vehicle to estimate its acceleration rates at different times so that the system can accurately estimate the time and distance needed for the departing vehicle to accelerate to the same speed as for the approaching vehicle.