National Science Foundation News | Self-Driving Cars & Pedestrian Safety @NSFScience | Uploaded September 2024 | Updated October 2024, 13 hours ago.
With an estimated 3.5 million self-driving vehicles expected on America’s roads by next year, University of Iowa researchers are investigating how to make crossing the road safe, especially for children. In cars driven by humans, a hand wave or a car completely stopping are cues letting us know it’s safe to cross but in a world with self-driving cars, those signals may need to change. The research was made possible by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

“When it comes to designing systems for these driverless vehicles, we need a consistent way for these vehicles to communicate with pedestrians about their intent. One that needs to be understood by our most vulnerable road users, children," says Elizabeth O’Neal, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the University of Iowa.

The team used virtual reality to study how 100 pre-teens determined when it was safe to cross a busy residential street. Standing on the edge of the VR roadway, two cars would approach – one manned and one driverless. The driverless car was outfitted with a red dome light that turned green to indicate that it intended to yield to the child. If it stayed red, it meant that it was not going to yield. The study also revealed that when the dome light changed was important, as kids exhibited less risky behavior if the light turned green only after the driverless car had come to a complete stop.