Human Factors in Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems: A Look to the Future

To achieve greater mobility and safety in highway travel, the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway System (IVHS) concept links the vehicle, driver, highway, and traffic management team using advanced communications and computer-controlled technology. In the near future we will see considerable change in the basic nature of the driving task and the way traffic is managed in the U.S. These changes are driven by the urgent need to address the serious problems of increased traffic congestion, energy waste, high fatality and injury rates, and environmental pollution. Human factors considerations are critical in the design and operation of IVHS. The driver-vehicle and driver-highway interfaces will be altered and will require optimization. Traffic control centers will perform more complex functions and will need the best possible ergonomic design. Traffic management teams will need to be properly configured and trained to meet effective performance criteria for more demanding work conditions. This paper will discuss IVHS human factors issues from the perspective of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It will also review FHWA's IVHS human factors research and development needs and strategies for the near future. The issues and planned FHWA activities for IVHS human factors will be discussed in terms of four elements: Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO), and Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS).