A recent research report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has stated that almost 175,000 pedestrians died on U.S roadways between 1975 and 2001. It was also noted in the report that 12% of all deaths related to motor vehicle crashes in the country are pedestrian fatalities. Most of the safety technology to date in vehicles has been applied to protect the occupants in the vehicle. What can vehicle manufacturers do to reduce pedestrian fatalities? With research being focused on two major fronts - methods to sense the presence of pedestrians and warn drivers of their location, and ways to design vehicles that can help not only adults of various age groups to survive an impact between them and a vehicle but also children that are smaller than most adults - the technical papers in this SAE Progress in Technology Series book explore ways the automobile can be designed to help reduce fatalities and injuries when a pedestrian and vehicle meet during an impact.

This comprehensive report on pedestrian safety builds on the current level of knowledge of pedestrian safety countermeasures by identifying the most effective advanced technology and intelligent transportation systems, such as automated pedestrian detection and warning systems (infrastructure-based and vehicle-based), road design, and vehicle structural design improvements, that could potentially mitigate the crash forces on pedestrians in the event of a crash. The report also includes recommendations on how new technological developments could be incorporated into educational and enforcement efforts and how they could be integrated into national design guidelines developed. Charts and tables.

Every day, it is estimated that about 350 people are killed on the roads of OECD countries, and thousands of others are injured. New technologies, including intelligent speed adaptation and collision avoidance systems, are being developed which could significantly improve road safety levels and reduce these casualties. However, significant investment is also going into technological research which may have a negative impact on road safety, unless action is taken to ensure their compatibility with current road systems. This OECD report evaluates the global impact of new technologies on road safety and provides recommendations to governments and industry to ensure that fatalities and injuries in road traffic are reduced.

"A Vision for Safety replaces the Federal Automated Vehicle Policy released in 2016. This updated policy framework offers a path forward for the safe deployment of automated vehicles by: encouraging new entrants and ideas that deliver safer vehicles; making Department regulatory processes more nimble to help match the pace of private sector innovation; and supporting industry innovation and encouraging open communication with the public and with stakeholders."--Introductory message.

Pedestrian safety is studied using two approaches: injury severity modeling using NHTSA's Crash Report Sampling System crash data and administering a nationwide survey on roadway safety topics. The crash data models identified seven significant independent variables which relate to severe pedestrian injuries: weather, lighting condition, speed limit, speeding violation, vehicle body type, driver impairment, and pedestrian age. When crashes at intersections and non-intersections were compared, the effects of these variables did not significantly vary. The nationwide survey concentrated on topics unavailable or incompletely described in the crash data, including pedestrian safety perceptions and four unsafe behaviors: intoxicated driving, cell phone use while driving, intoxicated walking, and cell phone use while walking. Public beliefs about dangerous pedestrian scenarios largely agreed with findings from the crash data. The Theory of Planned Behavior was applied to the unsafe behaviors, leading to distinct suggestions for public awareness messaging for each of the behaviors.

Acceptance of new technology and systems by drivers is an important area of concern to governments, automotive manufacturers and equipment suppliers, especially technology that has significant potential to enhance safety. To be acceptable, new technology must be useful and satisfying to use. If not, drivers will not want to have it, in which case it will never achieve the intended safety benefit. Even if they have the technology, drivers may not use it if it is deemed unacceptable, or may not use it in the manner intended by the designer. At worst, they may seek to disable it. This book brings into a single edited volume the accumulating body of thinking and research on driver and operator acceptance of new technology. Bringing together contributions from international experts from around the world, the editors have shaped a book that covers the theory behind acceptance, how it can be measured and how it can be improved. Case studies are presented that provide data on driver acceptance of a wide range of new and emerging vehicle technology. Although driver acceptance is the central focus of this book, acceptance of new technology by operators in other domains, and across cultures, is also investigated. Similarly, perspectives are derived from domains such as human computer interaction, where user acceptance has long been regarded as a key driver of product success. This book comes at a critical time in the history of the modern motor vehicle, as the number of new technologies entering the modern vehicle cockpit rapidly escalates. The goal of this book is to inspire further research and development of new vehicle technology to optimise user acceptance of it; and, in doing so, to maximise its potential to be useful, satisfying to use and able to save human life.