IMPROVING SAFETY FOR THE MAINTENANCE VEHICLE USING ITS TECHNOLOGY. PROTECTION SYSTEM OF MAINTENANCE VEHICLE AGAINST COLLISIION (P-MAC)

Maintenance works and road cleaning works on the highway are sometimes causes of traffic accidents, because maintenance vehicle's speed is much lower than general road users. The maintenance vehicles of Japan Highway Public Corporation (JH) have sign boards to call driver's attention. However, about 120 traffic accidents involving maintenance vehicles occurred in five years on the highway in Japan. In those accidents about 80 traffic accidents were collisions from the rear by general road users. In 80 traffic accidents, three people died and 28 people were injured. As vehicles are heavier and faster, those accidents and number of victims will increase. It is suggested that using sensors and a vehicle control system to realise automatic cruising for the maintenance vehicle could prevent accidents. Vehicles approaching the maintenance vehicle with unusual speed and course should be detected and call the driver's attention by LED signboard. To assist the maintenance vehicle's driver, automatic lane keeping and headway control should be developed. For the covering abstract see ITRD E114174.