PLAN TERRITORIAL EN SALUD PARA EL MUNICIPIO DE SIBATE POR SANDRA MILENA CAJAMARCA

Many driver feedback and reporting strategies simply passively monitor what is occurring, and provide feedback/reporting based on that. However, a system could also use monitored

information to actively change some aspect of vehicle functioning. The system could directly prevent, impede, or discourage selected behaviors. Vehicle adaptation strategies supplement information intended to promote learning with control that may directly modify behavior. For example, if the system recognizes that a teen is driving, it may limit maximum vehicle speed to some ceiling value (e.g., 65 mph) or to some level above the posted speed limit (e.g., 5 mph over posted speed). As another example, the system might sense some unsafe behavior (non-use of seat belt, excessive speed) and then restrict use of the vehicle’s infotainment systems (e.g., lockout the system or limit volume). The system might also restrict or limit access to peripheral devices such as cell phones or other nomadic devices.

Vehicle adaptation strategies may prove quite effective in reducing unsafe actions by teen drivers. However, there is also potential for various negative consequences. They may generate unintended behaviors that may be undesirable. For example, the infotainment system lockout might result in the uncontrolled use of nomadic devices, such as portable media players, with poor interface characteristics for use while driving. They may place the driver in unforeseen risky situations, for example in cases where higher speeds are transiently needed for safety maneuvers or where there are occasional errors in a coded database of speed limits. Conceivably, vehicle adaptation could lead to less learning, or less persistent training effects, because the preclusion of errors prevents good feedback or experiencing of marginal performance or because parents may feel less need for monitoring and intervention. Finally, lockouts and limiters could result in poor consumer acceptance, less use of monitoring technology, and system defeat. Vehicle adaptation is a strategy that has been used for some time in various fleet management applications. NHTSA has been conducting research in adaptive interface and driver assistance technologies (the SAVE-IT program) that may have great relevance for adaptation to teen driver applications. There is thus a basis of advanced vehicle-based technology research, as well as practical real-world applications, which could be brought to the teen monitoring issue for vehicle adaptation.

Vehicle adaptation strategies thus hold promise because of the potential for active involvement in the ongoing situation. At the same time, they require careful evaluation and cautious

application because of the potential for negative effects. Because vehicle adaptation is a special and complex subset of more general driver monitoring approaches, it merits specific attention as a target for a systematic program of research.

Research objective

The objectives of this research are to systematically examine the various sorts of vehicle adaptation strategies, determine their effects on teen driver behavior, and evaluate the best methods for vehicle-based adaptive system design. The study should include the following sorts of adaptive strategies:

• Systems that restrict vehicle or product functions (e.g., infotainment system lockout, communications device jamming)

• Systems that limit some aspect of vehicle performance (e.g., speed limiters, acceleration rate)

• Systems that lockout or limit some aspect of vehicle performance based on driver status (e.g., unbelted seat belt ignition lockouts, alcohol-sensing lockouts, distraction sensing)

• Systems that adapt driver feedback or reporting based on the current situation (e.g., triggers for speed warnings are modified due to passengers, environmental conditions, driver performance history).

Approach/anticipated methods

In many respects, the approach to the evaluation of vehicle adaptation strategies parallels the approach to the evaluation of basic aspects of monitoring, discussed in the previous section. Some preliminary concepts may be screened or refined in simulator or on road testing, but the primary question – how performance is influenced over time – will require some actual implementation with subject drivers.

An important step in this project will be the development of an intelligent system capable of implementing the various strategies and providing the necessary controlling actions, driver feedback, and reporting. The project should make full use of lessons learned from SAVE-IT, as well as other instrumented vehicle monitoring projects (e.g., SHRP 2). The project should identify a key set of alternative vehicle adaptation strategies and provide a demonstration of these using the experimental system.

Primary data collection should be based on field trials with volunteer teen drivers, with random assignment to the various vehicle adaptation and control groups. It will be important to

periodically monitor driver subjective response, as well as objective performance measures. This will include system acceptability, driver attitudes, reported changes in behavior, conditions where the system was a problem, etc. The intent in this project is not the highly quantitative evaluation of a specific product or system, but rather the identification of strengths and weaknesses of alternative adaptation strategies. Given time and cost considerations, surrogate safety measures can be used in place of crashes.

Potential benefits/payoff

This research will support the improved design and implementation of vehicle-based adaptive systems for teen drivers. It will help identify potentially dangerous or counterproductive aspects

of some vehicle adaptation techniques, in addition to pointing to high-performing strategies. The findings should be cast as guidelines and recommendations for OEMs, product developers, system implementers, and evaluators.

6.3.3 Research study: Driver behaviors for monitoring/feedback and for