Tought Leader
Improving Behavior Trough Automation of Vehicle Systems
WRITTEN BY ROBERT T. PUDLEWSKI W
hen we learn of, or experience a school bus accident with passenger injuries, we all sit back and ask what caused it, how can we prevent it from happen-
ing again, and what now? Te resulting outcome of the accident investigation
shows us that most all crashes are often the result of operational or behavioral failure. As regulators converge on the details of the accident, we eventually learn what contributed to the failure in behavior and the severity of the accident. It may have resulted from an equipment related issue, or a lack of defined and implemented safety management practices, or maintenance practice, or driv- er training, or lack of refresher training, or driver road supervision monitoring, or driver error. Te list goes on. From the investigative final report, we learn what we can do to help prevent such an accident from happening again. We would all agree that the most critical element of a safely operated school bus is driver behavior. Most opera- tors focus on safety and behavior management by devel- oping a rigorous driver refresher training program with up-to-date training material that compliments the initial classroom and behind-the-wheel training a new driver receives. Also, having all training supported by a record monitoring system to ensure 100-percent driver compliance. However, we still have accidents. We are in a new period of tech- nological aides that could form the basis for fully automated, not auton- omous, driver assist in school buses. Modern automotive driver assistance systems help drivers reach their destination in a safer, more relaxed manner. Tey keep the vehicle in the lane, maintain stability within the laws of physics, regulate speed and distance from other vehicles, warn of traffic jams, detect objects within a 360-degree area around the vehicle. Tey can even, if required, automat- ically initiate full braking to help prevent severe rear collisions. Te technical basis for fully automated driving assist has already been formed by the introduction of
30 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2017
the following driver assist technologies: Antilock braking systems (ABS 1978); Traction Control System (TSC 1986); Parking Aid (1993); Electronic stability control (ESP® 1996); Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC 2000); Parking Assist (2008); predictive emergency braking system (2010); Lane keeping support (2012); Traffic jam assist (2015), and; Remote park assist (2015); Some but not all are available to the school bus industry. As the automotive industry continues to develop these automated technologies and include them in the passen- ger vehicles we buy, I wonder how long will it take the school bus industry to begin to introduce the additional proven driver aides that no doubt would contribute to behavior modification and safety. Granted, much of the automated technology is new, so new that the regulators have had to agree on how to classify it. A classification system based on six different levels (ranging from driver assistance to fully automated systems) was published in 2014 by SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Tis classification system is based on the amount of driver intervention and attentiveness required, rather than the vehicle capabilities, although these are very
Robert Pudlewski, STN Technical Editor
CELEBRATING25YEARS
SCHOOL BUS
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