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Division of Vehicle, Driver, & System Safety looks to both the short term and the long term in saving time

VTTI’s Division of Vehicle, Driver, and System Safety (DVDSS) has VTTI’s mission of saving time firmly in mind as it looks to the future of transportation. Former division director and now VTTI executive director Zac Doerzaph believes that society will see a growth of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in the next 5-10 years such that traditional human driving will evolve as automation becomes more commonplace.

Among the potential advantages: vehicles equipped with next-generation ADAS will serve the traveling public by reducing the time we all lose when stuck in traffic. Non-recurring congestion is an unexpected traffic backup that results from minor collisions and other traffic disturbances. Effective ADAS, which augment the human driver’s capabilities, should reduce incidents such as these and help travelers consistently reach their destinations faster. The ADAS may also enhance the driving experience while reducing the stress of traditional non-assisted driving, making time in the vehicle more pleasant and potentially productive. While researchers have the challenge of making these newer technologies broadly acceptable to the public, Doerzaph believes that VTTI first has an important role in validating performance and informing vehicle developers and policy makers to ensure that deployed technologies meet the promise of saving us time on the road.

“It is extraordinarily exciting that we can play in that space.” said Doerzaph. "We can help make these newer modes of time-saving technology more widely available to the public.”

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