Assessment of the Stop and Go function using real driving behaviour

The paper reports on initial findings concerning the assessment and design of the Stop-and-Go ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) functionality, which allows low speed distance keeping between successive vehicles. The work is part of the Motorway Operations project being undertaken in the UK, dealing with understanding driver behaviour, and assessing and designing existing and new types of ADAS. The research presented examines the suitability of current Stop-and-Go control algorithms by undertaking a comparison between output from a micro-simulation model and time series data collected using an instrumented vehicle deployed during rush hour on the A35 in Southampton in the UK. The paper focuses on the impact of differing acceleration/deceleration policies, as well as examining how the algorithm copes with the sharp decelerations required during shockwaves. The paper concludes that unassisted drivers react earlier than the current algorithm, perhaps due to anticipation. More complex algorithms may need to be applied to match human performance in the complex low speed environment.