A Time Gap Interval for Safe Following Distance (TGFD) in Avoiding Car Collision in Wireless Vehicular Networks (VANET) Environment

Driving is an intense and dynamic cooperation between human and vehicles. Drivers control the vehicle directly or supervise the situation according to information displayed on the instrument panel. Different from the time-headway and traditional braking models, this  paper  aims  to propose  a  new  safety  indicator  called  time gap interval for safe following distance  (TGFD)  which incorporates  vehicle  dynamics  and  driver behavior factors that includes the time component to broadcast and propagate suitable safety messages in vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) environment. This  simulation-based safety indicator could analyze the capability of a vehicle in a car-following situation to safely  stop  without  hitting  the  vehicle  in  front  when  an  emergency  brake  is  applied  by considering the proper reaction time of  the  driver  of  the  following. Results from this simulation study indicate that the TGFD is more comprehensive safety indicator for safety analysis.