Evaluation of Camera-Based Systems to Reduce Bus Side Collisions

An aftermarket sideview video system has great potential to reduce transit bus side crashes. This paper presents a research project which investigates the use of a sideview video system as a countermeasure to address most of the mirror issues currently causing side crashes in transit operations. Measurements of blind zone reduction showed that the camera-based system with a regular angle lens can reduce about 64 percent of the blind zones of a flat mirror system. It can reduce about 40 percent of blind zones of a common combined flat and convex mirror system. Using a wide-angle lens, the blind zones on both sides of transit buses can be completely eliminated. The controlled driving test, designed to test if the drivers can use the system to perform everyday maneuvers, showed that there was no statistically significant difference between distances perceived with the mirrors and the camera system in static and dynamic conditions. During testing, several advantages of using a camera-based system over mirrors were observed. The test confirmed that the idea can be implemented and further enhancement of the system’s performance can improve its potential over mirrors used on transit vehicles, resulting in an increase of safety and a reduction of crashes