Safety Analysis of Mixed Automated and Conventional Traffic Flows Utilizing a Submicroscopic Simulation Framework

Testing of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) functions and automated driving (AD) technologies is an important step in their development, which cannot be addressed by the traditional automotive validation and verification processes. It has to be guaranteed before their deployment that the ADAS/AD functions exhibit appropriate and intended vehicle behavior under all possible scenarios. Particularly, analyzing the impact of ADAS/AD systems on traffic safety and efficiency is not trivial and is an active research topic. In the current article, a submicroscopic co-simulation framework is introduced consisting of microscopic traffic simulation, infrastructure communications, realistic vehicle dynamics, and corresponding ADAS functions. The suggested methodology can be used to assess the ADAS/AD functions of the ego vehicle as well as to analyze the safety implications of automated vehicles (including the ego vehicle) within mixed traffic flows consisting of automated and conventional vehicles. The utilization of the suggested submicroscopic simulation framework was demonstrated with a specific mixed traffic scenario for analyzing the effect of infrastructure messages on traffic safety using several performance indicators.