Expanded Research and Development of an Enhanced Rear Signaling System for Commercial Motor Vehicles

The purpose of the current study was to further develop and refine the prototype Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) system that was developed during the previous Phase III effort. Expanded development efforts for the ERS system included modification of the system into a unit designed for simple commercial motor vehicle (CMV) installation, collision-warning activation refinements, and rear lighting brightness adjustments for nighttime conditions. During the ERS system development process, the team successfully completed necessary modifications for improved CMV installation. Formal closed test-track and real-world testing were then performed to determine the ERS system collision-warning activation performance. Ultimately, the ERS system performed with a 100 percent correct detection rate and an 85.43 percent correct rejection rate during real-world testing. During all ERS system activations, no unsafe following vehicle driver reactions/behaviors were observed, indicating a promising system for follow-on research. A nighttime brightness level was selected at the conclusion of a ratings study and carried on into nighttime real-world testing. During ERS system nighttime activations, there were also no unsafe following-vehicle driver reactions/behaviors observed. Overall, the research team found that the ERS system is ready for further evaluation in a field operational test (FOT).