CMVRTC: Expanded Motor Coach Safety Analysis

Project Goal:

  To conduct a second phase of research on the motorcoach to examine ADS issues.

Background:

In FY 2018, under an existing CMV Roadside Technology Corridor (CMVRTC) IAA, FMCSA instrumented a 2014 Prevost Motorcoach to examine issues relating to tire wear, performance, and durability. Phase I looked at a simplified instrument package to measure road inputs to tire performance. Higher quality wheelforce transducers are being utilized to gather more specialized force input to the tires from road condition, severe braking, and cornering while tested on a test track.

Summary:

Phase II will explore whether ADS-equipped motorcoaches and Level 4/5 ADS trucks might be able to reduce the incidence of near crash events with other vehicles by taking proactive action to avoid or by proactively activating an external warning lamp to attempt to raise awareness to the approaching driver that the speed differential between their vehicle and the CMV is high. Additional road use data will be gathered to identify and develop proactive accident avoidance maneuvers and technologies.

Contractor:  

 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)