Do you remember the George Carlin routines about cars and driving? One of my favorites…
George to his passenger: “Do you want to see how my brother drives?” (this after a series of escapades with radio tuning knobs- the ones our car radios no longer have…)
Passenger: “Sure.”
Tooling along, George continues to drive ‘normally’, until he zooms through a red light. The passenger shrieks and George responds, “Don’t worry, my brother drives this way.”
A minute or so later, George again zooms through a red light. The passenger, by now, is clearly distraught.
All of a sudden, George slams on his brakes. The light is green. “What the …. are you doing?” declaims the passenger.
“My brother could be coming the other way!” responds George.
Well, this escapade could become a thing of the past, due to some new research coming out of MIT. Georges Aoude, recently granted his PhD under MIT Aero professor John How, has developed an algorithm that determines the odds a vehicle will be running a red light. This is a pretty important result, since some 10% of fatalities occur as a result of red light running. (Oh, I know- that’s why my community has ubiquitous red light cameras. As opposed to DC’s speed cameras, which are strictly revenue enhancement projects; but that’s the subject of another blog.)
This algorithm (a mathematical model) determines the propensity by monitoring the rate of deceleration of vehicles and their distance from the traffic light. The goal is to have this program incorporated into all vehicles, so a warning system (or heads-up display) would be provided to drivers should they be about to be hit (there should be just enough time for the other driver to avoid the collision- if he/she is alert). (Of course, this being a university, the project is called “Threat Assessment Module”.)
This system was tested here in Virginia (Christiansburg, near Virginia Tech). (This publication was co-authored by Low and Aoude, along with two other MIT students.) After analyzing some 3 million (3,018,456, to be exact) vehicle approaches, the data was further culled, choosing 1,673 violators and 13,724 compliant encounters. (To be “compliant” , each of these encounters had complete data for the final 10 m of the intersection approach.) The algorithm was highly accurate – the problem being the false positive result, which comprised about 15% of the data (or about an 85 % overall accuracy). Tweaking the algorithm is ongoing. This includes modifying this system for use in air traffic control. (After all, Dr. How IS a professor in the aeronautical engineering department, right?)
Of course, this concept is not much different than what I taught my children, when they were learning to drive. Watch the approaching car- if their hood is lowering, they are hitting the brakes; if their hood is rising, they are hitting the gas. Then, choose your response accordingly. 
You always have something fascinating Roy!
Marie recently posted..Here Nor There
Hmm. You are in Morocco- and you think this was fascinating????
I am in favor of any technology that will make driving safer. There are so many things that come into play at an intersection. A couple of years ago my elderly father was in a traffic accident. There were several witnesses that said he ran a red light but he said he never noticed/saw the light. I think he was focused on getting to his destination but was not thinking about the hazards on the road.
Janette Fuller recently posted..All My Favorite Things
Janette:
That’s true for most of us. We know where we want to go. We often fail to remember that those around us may not know where they are going- may not care that there are others around THEM, or how to drive their own cars. (That was directed to most of those who have these humongous SUV’s that they can neither manipulate nor park!)
Roy
Where was this post when I was teaching my teenager how to drive LOL? I too was always taught to slow at an intersection because you never know when someone coming in the other direction is going to ‘try to make it.’ And in Columbia, they do it all the time. People here are either trying to die, or they expect that others are going to stop and wait for them. My husband went to the store (about a mile & 1/2 from our house) the other night in the fog. By the time he got back, all the color had drained from his face & he said he feared for his life!
Jenny recently posted..Fabulous Friday–How Do You Get YOUR ‘Fit’ On?
Ah, Jenny….
That’s because it was Columbia!!!! I have an expression I use for drivers in that area…
But, seriously, we already are offering cars with cruise control that adjusts the speed when approaching other cars, this could be a great add-on to that device…
Roy
Well, will that be actually effective in reducing the possibility of people actually avoiding to jump red lights.. that has to be seen.
The hood raising and lowering thing is so cool; I will see it the next time I see a car approaching from the other end.
More than jumping red lights, here people indulge in speeding. Way too often and way too much. I hope someone does something to bring that down 🙂
Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?
Hajra
This won’t affect a soul who plans to run or jump a red light. It will help those of us who’ve had auto improvements provided by those who either don’t believe the red light pertains to them or are too busy putting on eyeliner to pay attention to the lights.
I, for one, believe that speeding is less of an issue (of course, I do- I do!)… 1. The roads were designed to be driven at higher speeds. 2. If those that can’t drive at the designed speed can’t- move to the right, avoid the road, or be tested OUT of driving. That is the biggest issue- improperly licensed drivers (where DID they get their permits???). Of course, the two second rule always applies… (two seconds distance between you and the person in front of you….)
I suggest we just install walls or nets (much like the aircraft carriers have) that pop up when the light turns red. That way, cars will run into the walls (a major deterrent) or the net (not as bad) and the reward to running the red light will be removed (since most red lights are ran on purpose and not from failure to pay attention).
Seriously though, I’m not sure I like the idea of yet another tracking system installed anywhere in my life.
Nicole Bandes recently posted..Tip 27 How To Accomplish that Dreaded Task
Oh, Nicole, I can just see it fail. And, then we’ll have 20 car pileups as the cars plow into one another.
Those nets on the carriers deal with trained individuals- who are actually paying attention like their life depends upon it- because it does.
Roy
yeah, we need more of this technology for the cars, since there are so many people with poor judgement. the downside is they will probably use it to ticket people at red lights too, similar to the way they do it at the toll booths now. I am waiting personally for smarter traffic lights. There is no reason to wait at a red light, if there is no traffic at all coming the other way. They need to do something about that.
Joseph D. Shiller recently posted..DISCOVERING HIDDEN NICHE ONLINE SHOPPING PRODUCTS AND PROFIT BY LEVERAGING ARTISTIC TALENT
Joseph-
I have no idea where you live. But, in the Metropolitan DC area, red light cameras are the norm. It is not clear to me it changes behavior, but it certainly enriches the local government AND Lockheed Martin (one of the largest providers of this “service”)…
Thanks for visiting!
Roy
I have noticed the hoods of cars, but you were sure right about setting up the mirrors so I will start looking. My daddy taught me to just slow down at every light and be prepared to stop. I think I might get bumped into if I did that now. I try to guess the light, not the other drivers. Will start looking. Thanks for another great tip, Roy.
Ann recently posted..4 Insights into Successful Marketing
Ah, Ann. Given the fact that we are now trying to make the cars stiffer than before, that trick will get harder and harder to discern- unless one really tries to give it the gas or slam on the brakes. But, for now, it generally works well- still!
Thanks for visiting.
Roy
I was just thinking that same thing Roy. With the suspension systems on cars now, it might be hard to see the up/down thing. We are off for a day trip today and I will sure be looking at hoods. 😀
Great information as always, and interesting research.
cath recently posted..a see you soon girls! moment
Glad you liked it, Cath. And, maybe that’s why we do need this new device- the old concept is being obviated by new car technology.
Roy
Those are scary stats. I’m going to forward this to every friend with a teenager who’s just learning how to drive. Something I tell my son (probably too often) is to look carefully before driving through intersections. Now I have proof! 🙂 Great post. Thanks.
Lisa Kanarek recently posted..What’s On Your Home Office Desk?
Glad you can use it, Lisa. Make sure your kids learn well. It’s the skill to keep them safe!
Roy
I love the concept that you taught your children Roy about approaching cars. I never realized that but it is something I have noticed.
I thought Mercedes or Jaguar already has a technology where the car will indicate when another vehicle is too close. This was targeting those drivers in large cities like Los Angeles. Can you imagine how many ‘fender benders’ could be reduced which in turn would reduce insurance claims.
Do you remember when the red light and green light would turn at the same time. That is when there were many more accidents. Then when I was in high school, I remember them changing the lights to have the time delay so that both directions were red. It reduced intersection accidents (broadside) significantly.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Top 10 Reasons to Take a Quantum Leap in 2012
Mercedes does, indeed, if the car is approaching the one in front too quickly and lowers the speed control, Lynn. That is the kind of device the inventors hope to tag onto with this product.
The red and green lights were around before the yellow light was introduced- and it also let you know the light was about to turn green- enough to make jackrabbit starts the norm!
Thanks for the memories.
Roy
In my opinion, we need to be very careful about over-automating. Trusting a warning system may lead to lazy drivers deferring to technology instead of paying attention. If we depend on the car’s technology to watch out for us will we lose our sharpness and attention to detail like what you describe in your driving lesson to your children.
Tambre Leighn/coaching by tambre recently posted..What Are You Tolerating?
Tambre, you are absolutely correct. Too many folks use their cruise control to let their brains off the hook. Which is one of the reasons why Mercedes Benz has developed the “car-sensing” technology to lower the speed, as you approach other cars.
I, on the other hand, use my cruise-control to insure that I don’t drive the speeds at which I find comfort. By setting my controls to a pleasant X (sorry, Mr. Trooper, it’s none of your business), I am not tempted to enjoy my drive and find the triple-digit region. But, I watch the surroundings (including for Mr. Trooper who was just trying to eavesdrop on this conversation) for hazards and complications, immediately demanding control before an emergency arises. By watching five or six vehicles hence…
But, even with watching, I may not see that moron who is a furlong out on the side street about to provide my vehicle with a side-improvement…
Roy
Ha! Before proceeding when the stoplight changes from red to green I look both ways to make sure the other guy is not coming through the intersection. The probability even sans research is high of someone running a red light, but that is pure speculation on my part. But with the knowledge I learned from this post, I can simply look at how the hood of the opposing vehicle is. Who knew?
Caveat:
If the idiot running the light is just oblivious, he/she may be going at a steady speed- so their hood will be totally level. It’s only if they realize their mistake- and speed up or slam on the brakes (it’s the change in velocity you are “measuring”)- that you will notice a change.
I don’t want to be blamed for that new dent in your door!
Roy