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Cited in more than 90 percent of police crash reports, driver error remains the leading cause of crashes on America's roads. To help improve driver performance and safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established the national Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). A significant new direction for USDOT safety programs, the M focuses on preventing crashes by helping drivers avoid hazardous mistakes.

Other partners in the project include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the American Trucking Associations, ITS America, the motor vehicle industry, seven universities, and 10 State and local transportation agencies. A departure from the past, the initiative looks at "preventing" crashes, rather than "reducing the severity" of crash-related injuries to people and property.

"The mission of the IVI is to reduce the number and severity of crashes through the application of advanced driver assistance systems," explains Ray Resendes, IVI program manager at FHWA. "Through the IVI program, the Federal government, and FHWA along with its partner agencies, is helping the transportation industry produce better safety. systems more quickly."

During the summer, a 3-day national IVI meeting and vehicle demonstration was held at FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Several State departments of transportation (DOTs), local transportation agencies, and members of the private sector displayed intelligent vehicle technologies developed trader the IVI. The technologies included an avoidance system for intersection collisions, a bus equipped with an innovative frontal collision warning system, cars with adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning systems, and a tractor-trailer truck featuring onboard trucker safety advisory and automatic crash notification systems. Products in testing are expected to appear soon in passenger cars, including rear-end collision-avoidance systems and roadway-departure warning systems. Eight M operational tests also are underway.

# posted by Medical Information : 5:50 AM