Fatalities from motor vehicle crashes lead all accident deaths in the US. In 2017, 34,247 people lost their lives in car-related crashes and there were 121,000 injured vulnerable road users (VRUs). There are three main categories of factors influencing crashes between vehicles and VRUs: VRUs’ demographic information, drivers’ behavior, intersection condition, and weather. Studies have shown that cyclists are willing to equip bicycles with specific technology considering the potential improvement of personal safety. As reflected by the literature, several sensor technologies in personal vehicles, freight trucks, and other users (e.g., VRUs) could help improve safety. Moreover, the incoming 5G Era will mitigate telecommunication challenges for some of these advanced intelligent vehicle technologies (IVTs).
This research will develop a simulation tool to help quantify safety improvements from various IVTs, including Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I). In particular, the work will contribute to filling the knowledge gap on IVT’s influence on VRUs’ safety. The analysis of these technologies can help both public and related stakeholders to better understand how different IVTs will improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians under various conditions at intersections.