A Model for the Crash Occurrence in Unexpected Incidents

Abstract The objective of this paper is the investigation of the parameters that influence the crash occurrence in the case of an unexpected incident. It draws inspiration from the Safety System Approach, which is built on the position that serious injury and death in transport networks cannot be ethically acceptable. To this end, the research takes into consideration parameters regarding both the road environment and the human factor. A driving simulator experiment takes place with the participation of 56 drivers, and the employment of the appropriate equipment (driving simulator, physiological parameters sensors and software, camera, synchronization software). It investigates the effect of different road and environment parameters (road category and complexity of the environment, visibility conditions), parameters of the driver (age, gender, mental workload), physiological parameters of the driver (heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature) and the reaction time of the driver to the unexpected incidents, as well as the way of reaction (brake, maneuver, both, none). Furthermore, parameters of the vehicle are taken into consideration (speed, acceleration, headway). Α mixed logistic regression model is being developed for examining the relationship between the under study explanatory variables and the crash occurrence in unexpected incidents.