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Almost a million people are killed worldwide each year in motor vehicle crashes, over 42,000 of them in the U.S. Human/driver error (or induced error) is the most commonly identified contributing cause according to crash studies, especially studies conducted in the U.S. Accordingly, if crashes are to be reduced, a human-centered approach is needed. As part of its Intelligent Transportation Systems program, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) is funding several major projects (e.g., VII, IVBSS) concerned with active safety, warnings, and communications. As part of these and other projects, several meta-issues have arisen that deserve further attention.

The road damage caused by heavy trucks is accentuated by the dynamic loads excited by roughness in the road. Simulation models of trucks are used to predict dynamic wheel loads, but special models are required for tandem suspensions. Parameter values to characterize tandem suspension systems can be measured quasi-statically on a suspension measurement facility, but it is not known how well they fit dynamic models. The dynamic behavior of leaf-spring and air-spring tandem suspensions were measured on a hydraulic road simulator using remote parameter characterization techniques. The road simulator tests were duplicated with computer simulations of these suspensions based on quasi-static parameter measurements to compare dynamic load performance. In the case of the walking-beam suspension, simulated performance on the road was compared to experimental test data to evaluate the ability of the walking-beam model to predict dynamic load.

Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) represents the application of information technology to improve the effectiveness of the existing road transportation system resulting in increased safety and better traffic management [1,2]. In-Vehicle Safety Advisory and Warning System (IVSAWS) Program is a Federal Highway Admisistration project to develop a system that provides drivers with advance notification of roadway hazards. IVSAWS units will provide supplemental warnings in order to ameliorate hazardous scenarios (e.g., railroad grade crossings, slow moving vehicles) which are particularly hazardous and have remained hazardous despite traditional crash reduction techniques such as additional mechanical signing. Program aspects include hazard scenario identification, system architecture design, driver alert warning subsystem design, communication subsystem design, and proof of concept field testing.