AN ANALYSIS OF LATERAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS TO INCREASE SAFETY AT CROSSROADS

The paper aims at reporting the simulation activities planned in order to investigate on the lateral accident severity and on the possibility of reducing the number of accidents by means of on board systems in case of crossing of roads or crossroads. The problem of collision at intersections is surely very important for the number of accidents and very difficult to tackle from the technological point of view. At this moment several European research projects, like LACOS funded by EC within the 4th framework of the European Research, PROTECTOR and CHAMELEON, two projects funded within the 5th Framework Research Programme, investigate on potential benefits which can be introduced by the use of electronic on board devices both for active and passive safety. The simulations developed in the research are a useful mean to understand in which direction is more convenient to work; in particular a special study has been done about the crossing of unprotected road users (such as pedestrians). The equipment envisaged for the simulations derived from an analysis of the state of the art of technologies for object sensing and actuation as well as defined within the already mentioned projects. These features will be implemented in an existing accident simulator in order to perform simulation runs.