Advanced Automatic Collision Notification Research Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DOT HS 812 729 May 2019 Advanced Automatic Collision Notification Research Report Disclaimer This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade or manufacturers’ names or products are mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Suggested APA Format Citation: Lee, E., Wu, J., Enriquez, J., Martin, J., & Craig, M. (2019, May). Advanced Automatic Collision Notification Research Report (Report No. DOT HS 812 729). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. DOT HS 812 729 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Advanced Automatic Collision Notification Research Report May 2019 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Authors 8. Performing Organization Lee, E., Wu, J., Enriquez, J., Martin, J., Craig, M. 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Vehicle Safety Research 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE. 11. Contract or Grant No. Washington, D.C., 20590 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Vehicle Safety Research Final Report 1200 New Jersey Ave SE 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Washington, D.C., 20590 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract This document describes recent progress made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to better understand the safety potential and technical considerations of post-crash technologies such as auto- matic collision notification (ACN) and advanced automatic collision notification (AACN). These technolo- gies provide automatic notification of a crash when that crash reaches a minimum severity such as air bag deployment. Notification to a public safety answering point (PSAP, or 9-1-1 call center) or telematics ser- vice provider (TSP) occurs via cellular signal that allows the vehicle to place a call and transmit data. Research was conducted on the target population who may benefit from AACN, injury prediction algo- rithms used by AACN systems, and estimates of costs and benefits (i.e. potential lives saved) that could be realized with implementation of AACN. Finally, research was conducted on development of a procedure to test AACN systems. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement AACN, ACN, crash notification, telematics, post- Document is available to the public from the Na- crash, injury prediction, pre-hospital care tional Technical Information Service www.ntis.gov. 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22 Unclassified 33 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... ii I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 II. Quantification of Benefits Associated With AACN ........................................................................... 2 III. Injury Prediction .................................................................................................................................. 6 IV. Target population and estimated lives saved ..................................................................................... 10 V. Cost ................................................................................................................................................... 19 VI. Test Procedures ................................................................................................................................. 21 VII. Technical Considerations .................................................................................................................. 24 VIII. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 27 i Executive Summary This document describes recent progress made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to better understand the safety potential and technical considerations of post-crash technologies such as Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) and Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN). These technologies provide automatic notification of a crash when that crash reaches a minimum severity (e.g., air bag deployment). Notification to a public safety answering point (PSAP, or 9- 1-1 call center) or telematics service provider (TSP) occurs via cellular signal that allows the vehicle to place a call and transmit data. The key potential benefits of AACN are faster notification time of the crash, which can lead to emergency medical services (EMS) responding to the scene faster, and the prediction of severe injury. Injury prediction in an AACN system can provide information to EMS on whether or not to transport an occupant to a higher level of care (e.g., a trauma center). Earlier research, as well as updated research conducted for this report, demonstrates that severely injured occupants have significantly higher survival rates when taken to a trauma center compared with being transported to a lower level hospital. To evaluate the target population, or the group of motor vehicle occupant fatalities that could receive benefit from an AACN system, the agency identified specific characteristics, such as being in a light vehicle and having access to a trauma center within a reasonable time window, that were required in order for these potential benefits to be realized. Another factor necessary for benefits to be realized is for the AACN algorithm to correctly identify the occupant as being severely injured. Research conducted for this report demonstrated that currently recommended thresholds for injury prediction may not be sufficiently sensitive to identifying severely injured or fatal occupants. Finally, research was conducted on development of a procedure to test AACN systems. Because AACN systems establish voice communications and transmit information from the vehicle, it is possible to detect the presence of these communications without actually obtaining the communications contents, which are typically proprietary. Evaluation criteria were developed and a proof-of-concept test was performed. This research demonstrated the feasibility of developing a repeatable test for AACN. This report details our findings with respect to ACN and AACN and summarizes our observations to-date about these technologies. The efforts conducted by the agency to date demonstrate that post-crash technologies have the potential to enhance the safety of light vehicles. ii I. Introduction There are two post-crash vehicle technologies that provide automatic notification of a crash when that crash reaches a minimum severity (e.g., air bag deployment): Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) and Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN). Notification to a public safety answering point (PSAP, or 9-1-1 call center) or telematics service provider (TSP) occurs via cellular signal that allows the vehicle to place a call and transmit data. ACN: With this technology, the data transmitted via cellular signal includes the current vehicle location and vehicle identification information (make, model). ACN systems have the potential enable earlier notification of a motor vehicle crash, allowing quicker Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response, andalso improve location identification for first responders (saving time in locating the vehicle). AACN: With AACN technology, the data transmitted includes everything transmitted by an ACN system (location, vehicle identification information), as well as a prediction of probability of severe injury. AACN systems produce, at minimum, the same benefits as ACN systems, by decreasing notification time. In addition, it is believed that AACN can provide additional benefits such as improved dispatch decision making (e.g., whether to send basic life support, advanced life support or helicopter to scene) and improved transport decision making (i.e., whether to take a patient to the nearest community hospital or bypass the nearest hospital and go directly to a trauma center). NHTSA has a long history of conducting research related to post-crash notification technologies. These efforts date back to the late 1990s when the agency funded an ACN Field Operational Test to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits associated with ACN systems.1 Since 1986, the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) has published a resource manual that provides guidance for the pre-hospital triage process through a Field Triage Decision Scheme.2 The Decision Scheme protocol is based on an on-scene, sequential evaluation performed by Emergency Medical Services (EMS), consisting of different aspects of trauma patient presentation,