Smart bumper sticker system to combat tailgating

This project’s goal is to improve road safety, reduce rear-end crashes, and support a cultural shift towards respectful driving distances. It will develop, test, and evaluate a low-cost, intelligent smart bumper sticker, externally displayed mounted to the back of a vehicle that shows real-time messages to vehicles that are following too closely.

Using sensors to detect unsafe following distances, the system aims to reduce tailgating by encouraging better behaviour through targeted messages. Working prototypes will be built and evaluated on fleet vehicles equipped with data collection systems.

Trial data will evaluate whether the display messaging has any impact on influencing increased vehicle following distance. If successful, every single vehicle equipped with the technology could influence many tailgaters each day, creating a powerful network effect with broad behavioural reach from minimal deployment. As such, the technology could benefit drivers, fleet operators, insurers, and regulators, lowering crash-related costs and improving safety on Australian roads.

Participants

• Queensland University of Technology
• Motor Accident Insurance Commission
• Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland)

Project background

Rear-end crashes account for nearly 30% of road incidents in Australia and around 50% of new Comprehensive Third Party injury insurance claims in Queensland, costing the scheme $1.8 billion over a five-year period.

A key cause is tailgating which remains largely unaddressed by current vehicle safety systems.

This project addresses three barriers to reducing tailgating:

• Lack of effective deterrents for following drivers;
• Limited awareness of safe following distances and the risks of an unsafe gap; and
• Currently no scalable, low-cost intervention to shift behaviour in real time.

By developing and testing a smart bumper sticker this the project seeks to improve road safety, reduce rear-end crashes, and foster a cultural shift towards respectful driving distances. Outputs will demonstrate whether such an intervention can potentially create meaningful behavioural change.

Project objectives

The overall project objective is to reduce tailgating behaviour and associated rear-end crashes.

Sub-objectives are to:

1. Develop an external human machine interface (HMI) – a smart bumper sticker – displaying real-time messages to vehicles following that are sensed as being too close.
2. Evaluate if the HMI system can measurably improve following distance (tailgating behaviour).

Please note …

This page will be a living record of this project. As it matures, hits milestones, etc., we’ll continue to add information, links, images, interviews and more. Watch this space!