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Close Following
Introduction
Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) recently completed a research project investigating the issues surrounding the problem of close following vehicles.
The objectives of the work were to determine the proportion of accidents on the road network that involved close following vehicles and to develop strategies or techniques for reducing the frequency of these accidents, including the use of enforcement technology.
The work also identified a number of techniques used in different countries that are designed to reduce close following accidents. Two systems were identified:
- VKS system used in Holland which identifies close following from video imaging alone (see picture).
- Telem used in Israel which uses an acoustic detector in the road surface and speed camera type technology to collect evidence.
What are the different systems?
When considering how minimum headways could be identified, it was concluded that any technology would need to discriminate between wilful close following and the temporary situation where one vehicle has cut in front of another. The project addresses this by collecting video material of the driver behaviour before and during the identified close following incident in conjunction with the VKS system
The project includes three classes of close following system:
- Advice systems advise drivers what their headway should be and include chevron markings.
- Interactive-deterrent systems use Vehicle Activated Signs that present a message to a driver when the headway is below a certain threshold.
- Enforcement systems collect evidence for analysis of the close following incident and the behaviour of the driver by the enforcing authority.
How does it work?
The trials are to be undertaken of a system that can operate in either an Interactive-deterrent or Advice mode. This system will incorporate a vehicle-activated sign which activates at headways less than a minimum value.
Downstream of the sign, chevron markings and signs will be used to advise the driver what headway they should be travelling at. The work may also recommend the development of an Enforcement system, possibly in parallel with the development of the combined Interactive-deterrent and Advice system.
