Behind the scenes | Driver behavior in left turn maneuver

Turning left at intersections may seem like a simple task, but it can be a risky maneuver that can result in accidents. Collisions involving turning cars and oncoming motorcycles are particularly severe in terms of injury outcomes for the riders. Motorcycles are more difficult to see than cars and trucks due to their smaller size and faster speed. This can lead drivers to underestimate the risk of collisions with motorcycles.

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) systems can help drivers in these situations by alerting them to the presence of an oncoming motorcycle. To evaluate the effectiveness of FCW systems, it is important to understand how drivers behave and react without these systems.

The University of Florence is conducting simulations for the V4SAFETY project to study the standard behaviour of drivers turning left at intersections with oncoming motorcycles. This data will be used to develop models for driver responses to FCWs (WP3) and to demonstrate the V4SAFETY virtual safety assessment framework (WP6) for estimating the impact of FCWs on safety.

Driving simulator study at/by the University of Florence