The purpose of the present study was to examine effects of driver, vehicle, and environment characteristics on Collision Warning System (CWS) design. One hypothesis was made that the capability of collision avoidance would not be same among a driver, vehicle, and environment group with different characteristics. Accident analysis and quantitative analysis was used to examine this hypothesis in terms of ‘risk’ and ‘safety margin’ respectively. Rear-end collision had a stronger focus in the present study. As a result of accident analysis, heavy truck showed a higher susceptibility of the fatal rear-end accidents than car and light truck. Also, dry road surface compared to wet or snow, dark condition compared to daylight condition, straight road compared to curved road, level road compared to grade, crest or sag, roadway having more than 5 travel lanes compared to roadway having 2, 3 or 4 travel lanes showed a higher susceptibility of the fatal rear-end accidents. Relative rear-end accidents involvement proportion compared to the other types of collision was used as a measure of susceptibility. As a result of quantitative analysis, a significant difference in terms of Required Minimum Warning Distance (RMWD) was made among a different vehicle type and braking system group. However, relatively small difference was made among a different age, gender group in terms of RMWD. Based on the result, breaking performance of vehicle should be regarded as an input variable in the design of CWS, specifically warning timing criteria, was concluded.

<p>The purpose of the present study was to examine effects of driver, vehicle, and environment characteristics on Collision Warning System (CWS) design. One hypothesis was made that the capability of collision avoidance would not be same among a driver, vehicle, and environment group with different characteristics. Accident analysis and quantitative analysis was used to examine this hypothesis in terms of ‘risk’ and ‘safety margin’ respectively. Rear-end collision had a stronger focus in the present study. </p><p>As a result of accident analysis, heavy truck showed a higher susceptibility of the fatal rear-end accidents than car and light truck. Also, dry road surface compared to wet or snow, dark condition compared to daylight condition, straight road compared to curved road, level road compared to grade, crest or sag, roadway having more than 5 travel lanes compared to roadway having 2, 3 or 4 travel lanes showed a higher susceptibility of the fatal rear-end accidents. Relative rear-end accidents involvement proportion compared to the other types of collision was used as a measure of susceptibility. </p><p>As a result of quantitative analysis, a significant difference in terms of Required Minimum Warning Distance (RMWD) was made among a different vehicle type and braking system group. However, relatively small difference was made among a different age, gender group in terms of RMWD. Based on the result, breaking performance of vehicle should be regarded as an input variable in the design of CWS, specifically warning timing criteria, was concluded.</p>