Assessing the Feasibility of Adding Additional Actors to Traffic Jam Assist Test Scenarios

Fogle, Erin E.; Manahan, Taylor; Forkenbrock, Garrick J. · 2021 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report assesses the feasibility of increasing the complexity of Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) test scenarios by adding secondary other vehicles (SOVs) to existing protocols developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The research aims to determine if expanded multi-actor configurations can effectively simulate more complex real-world driving situations on test tracks. The study focused on two specific scenarios: Suddenly Revealed Stopped Vehicle (SRSV) and Lead Vehicle Lane Change with Braking (LVLCB). In the SRSV tests, one or two SOVs were positioned in the subject vehicle’s (SV) rear blind spots, creating 4- or 5-actor scenarios. In the LVLCB tests, one SOV was added to the SV’s right rear blind spot, resulting in a 4-actor scenario. Testing was conducted at speeds of 25 mph and 35 mph using a 2019 Audi A6 and a 2017 BMW 540i as subject vehicles, alongside robotic-controlled lead vehicles and principal other vehicles. The experimental design utilized AB Dynamics steering, throttle, and brake robots to control the non-subject vehicles, ensuring precise path following and speed maintenance. Validity criteria required strict adherence to lateral path tolerances, specific longitudinal headways, and timing for braking events. For the SRSV scenario, the lead vehicle performed a lane change to reveal a stationary principal other vehicle, while SOVs blocked lateral avoidance maneuvers by the SV. For the LVLCB scenario, the principal other vehicle changed lanes into the SV’s path and applied braking. The study evaluated whether the robotic controllers could maintain these choreographies reliably across different speeds and actor counts, noting that the SVs operated in SAE Level 2 automation mode. Results indicated that the multi-actor test protocols were generally performable at 25 mph, with valid trials successfully collected for both scenarios. However, significant challenges arose at 35 mph. In the SRSV tests with two SOVs at 35 mph, only one valid trial was achieved due to inconsistencies in the lead vehicle’s lane-change onset headway. In the LVLCB tests at 35 mph with 0.5g deceleration, no valid trials were collected because the principal other vehicle failed to meet the required braking timing relative to the lane change completion. Additionally, maintaining the longitudinal position of SOVs proved difficult during aggressive SV deceleration, leading to a protocol adjustment where SOVs switched to open-loop constant speed control to prevent interference. The study concludes that while adding actors to TJA test scenarios is feasible, the current robotic control software and configuration settings require refinement to handle the increased complexity at higher speeds. Specifically, adjustments are needed to ensure consistent lane-change timing and braking onset in 35 mph trials. The authors suggest that live filtering data and additional path tuning could resolve these issues. This research supports NHTSA’s goal of developing more rigorous test procedures that better reflect complex real-world driving conditions, though further technical development is necessary to validate these expanded scenarios fully.

Key finding

Adding secondary actors to traffic jam assist test scenarios is feasible at lower speeds but requires further refinement of robotic controller software and configuration settings to maintain validity criteria at higher speeds.

Methodology

on_road

Sample size: 2

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• traffic density

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: standards test procedures
• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics