{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/106655"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/106655","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking for Protection of Pedestrians and Bicyclists in the U.S.","abstract":"In the United States, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in 2018, of which 20% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) [1]. Vulnerable road users are non-vehicle occupants who, because they are not enclosed in a vehicle, are at higher risk of injury in traffic crashes. While overall traffic fatalities in the US have been decreasing, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have been trending upward. Vehicle-based active safety features could avoid or mitigate crashes with VRUs, but are highly dependent on the ability to detect a VRU with enough time or distance. This work presents methods to examine the characteristics of vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle crashes and near-crashes using a variety of data sources, assess the potential effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) in avoiding and mitigating VRU crashes through modeling and simulation, and estimate the future benefits of AEB for VRU safety in the United States. Additionally, active safety features are most effective when behavior of VRUs can be anticipated, however, the behavior of pedestrians and bicyclists is notoriously unpredictable. Therefore, an approach to examine and categorize pedestrian behavior in response to near-crashes and crashes events is presented. Overall, findings suggest that AEB has great potential to avoid and mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists, but it cannot avoid all crashes even when an idealized AEB system is assumed. Most pedestrians and bicyclists were found to be visible for at least one second prior to the crash, but obstructions, the unpredictability of VRUs, and adverse weather/lighting conditions still pose challenges in avoiding and mitigating crashes with VRUs.","abstract_html":"In the United States, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in 2018, of which 20% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) [1]. Vulnerable road users are non-vehicle occupants who, because they are not enclosed in a vehicle, are at higher risk of injury in traffic crashes. While overall traffic fatalities in the US have been decreasing, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have been trending upward. Vehicle-based active safety features could avoid or mitigate crashes with VRUs, but are highly dependent on the ability to detect a VRU with enough time or distance. This work presents methods to examine the characteristics of vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle crashes and near-crashes using a variety of data sources, assess the potential effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) in avoiding and mitigating VRU crashes through modeling and simulation, and estimate the future benefits of AEB for VRU safety in the United States. Additionally, active safety features are most effective when behavior of VRUs can be anticipated, however, the behavior of pedestrians and bicyclists is notoriously unpredictable. Therefore, an approach to examine and categorize pedestrian behavior in response to near-crashes and crashes events is presented. Overall, findings suggest that AEB has great potential to avoid and mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists, but it cannot avoid all crashes even when an idealized AEB system is assumed. Most pedestrians and bicyclists were found to be visible for at least one second prior to the crash, but obstructions, the unpredictability of VRUs, and adverse weather/lighting conditions still pose challenges in avoiding and mitigating crashes with VRUs.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Haus, Samantha Helen"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Biomedical Engineering","degree_department":"Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Perez, Miguel A.","Gabler, Hampton Clay"],"committee_members":["Doerzaph, Zachary R.","Jermakian, Jessica S.","Gayzik, Francis S."],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-11-16","date_published":"2021-11-16","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:16Z","subjects":["Vulnerable Road Users","Active Safety","AEB","U.S.","Benefits"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:33099"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:33099","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106655","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Perez, Miguel A.","Gabler, Hampton Clay"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Doerzaph, Zachary R.","Jermakian, Jessica S.","Gayzik, Francis S."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Haus, Samantha Helen"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2021-11-17T09:00:15Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2021-11-17T09:00:15Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2021-11-16"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biomedical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Vulnerable Road Users","Active Safety","AEB","U.S.","Benefits"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:33099"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106655"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the United States, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in 2018, of which 20% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) [1]. Vulnerable road users are non-vehicle occupants who, because they are not enclosed in a vehicle, are at higher risk of injury in traffic crashes. While overall traffic fatalities in the US have been decreasing, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have been trending upward. Vehicle-based active safety features could avoid or mitigate crashes with VRUs, but are highly dependent on the ability to detect a VRU with enough time or distance. This work presents methods to examine the characteristics of vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle crashes and near-crashes using a variety of data sources, assess the potential effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) in avoiding and mitigating VRU crashes through modeling and simulation, and estimate the future benefits of AEB for VRU safety in the United States. Additionally, active safety features are most effective when behavior of VRUs can be anticipated, however, the behavior of pedestrians and bicyclists is notoriously unpredictable. Therefore, an approach to examine and categorize pedestrian behavior in response to near-crashes and crashes events is presented. Overall, findings suggest that AEB has great potential to avoid and mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists, but it cannot avoid all crashes even when an idealized AEB system is assumed. Most pedestrians and bicyclists were found to be visible for at least one second prior to the crash, but obstructions, the unpredictability of VRUs, and adverse weather/lighting conditions still pose challenges in avoiding and mitigating crashes with VRUs."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["In the United States, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in 2018, of which 20% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) [1]. Vulnerable road users are non-vehicle occupants who, because they are not enclosed in a vehicle, are at higher risk of injury in traffic crashes. While overall traffic fatalities in the US have been decreasing, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities are trending upward. Vehicle-based countermeasures, such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), could avoid or mitigate crashes with VRUs, but are highly dependent on the ability to detect a VRU with enough time or distance. My work presents methods to examine the characteristics of vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle crashes and near-crashes using a variety of data sources, assess the potential effectiveness of AEB in avoiding and mitigating VRU crashes through modeling and simulation, and estimate the future benefits of AEB for VRU safety in the United States. Additionally, crash avoidance technologies are most effective when behavior of VRUs can be anticipated, however, the behavior of pedestrians and bicyclists is notoriously unpredictable. Therefore, I examined and categorized pedestrian behavior in response to near-crashes and crashes events. Overall, we found that AEB has great potential to avoid and mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists, but it cannot avoid all crashes even when assuming an idealized AEB system. Most pedestrians and bicyclists were found to be visible for at least one second prior to the crash, but obstructions, the unpredictability of VRUs, and adverse weather/lighting conditions still pose challenges in avoiding and mitigating crashes with VRUs."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking for Protection of Pedestrians and Bicyclists in the U.S."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Perez, Miguel A.","Gabler, Hampton Clay"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Doerzaph, Zachary R.","Jermakian, Jessica S.","Gayzik, Francis S."],"dc:contributor.department":["Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics"],"dc:creator":["Haus, Samantha Helen"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2021-11-17T09:00:15Z"],"dc:date.available":["2021-11-17T09:00:15Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2021-11-16"],"dc:description.abstract":["In the United States, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in 2018, of which 20% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) [1]. Vulnerable road users are non-vehicle occupants who, because they are not enclosed in a vehicle, are at higher risk of injury in traffic crashes. While overall traffic fatalities in the US have been decreasing, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have been trending upward. Vehicle-based active safety features could avoid or mitigate crashes with VRUs, but are highly dependent on the ability to detect a VRU with enough time or distance. This work presents methods to examine the characteristics of vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle crashes and near-crashes using a variety of data sources, assess the potential effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) in avoiding and mitigating VRU crashes through modeling and simulation, and estimate the future benefits of AEB for VRU safety in the United States. Additionally, active safety features are most effective when behavior of VRUs can be anticipated, however, the behavior of pedestrians and bicyclists is notoriously unpredictable. Therefore, an approach to examine and categorize pedestrian behavior in response to near-crashes and crashes events is presented. Overall, findings suggest that AEB has great potential to avoid and mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists, but it cannot avoid all crashes even when an idealized AEB system is assumed. Most pedestrians and bicyclists were found to be visible for at least one second prior to the crash, but obstructions, the unpredictability of VRUs, and adverse weather/lighting conditions still pose challenges in avoiding and mitigating crashes with VRUs."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["In the United States, there were 36,560 traffic-related fatalities in 2018, of which 20% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs) [1]. Vulnerable road users are non-vehicle occupants who, because they are not enclosed in a vehicle, are at higher risk of injury in traffic crashes. While overall traffic fatalities in the US have been decreasing, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities are trending upward. Vehicle-based countermeasures, such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), could avoid or mitigate crashes with VRUs, but are highly dependent on the ability to detect a VRU with enough time or distance. My work presents methods to examine the characteristics of vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle crashes and near-crashes using a variety of data sources, assess the potential effectiveness of AEB in avoiding and mitigating VRU crashes through modeling and simulation, and estimate the future benefits of AEB for VRU safety in the United States. Additionally, crash avoidance technologies are most effective when behavior of VRUs can be anticipated, however, the behavior of pedestrians and bicyclists is notoriously unpredictable. Therefore, I examined and categorized pedestrian behavior in response to near-crashes and crashes events. Overall, we found that AEB has great potential to avoid and mitigate collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists, but it cannot avoid all crashes even when assuming an idealized AEB system. Most pedestrians and bicyclists were found to be visible for at least one second prior to the crash, but obstructions, the unpredictability of VRUs, and adverse weather/lighting conditions still pose challenges in avoiding and mitigating crashes with VRUs."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:33099"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106655"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Vulnerable Road Users","Active Safety","AEB","U.S.","Benefits"],"dc:title":["Effectiveness of Automatic Emergency Braking for Protection of Pedestrians and Bicyclists in the U.S."],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biomedical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:16Z"}