Dynamic Rear-End Collision Mitigation for a Vehicle About to be Struck

Increases in sensing and computing capability in modern vehicles create opportunities for improving safety through active control of the vehicle motion. A system for mitigating rear-end collisions is introduced, focusing on the strategies a vehicle about to be struck could employ to reduce the severity of the crash. Due to high differential speeds and tight space constraints, the timing and precision of control inputs are critical, preventing human drivers from effectively employing these strategies. However, the results of the study presented in this paper suggest that there are relatively unobtrusive strategies that a single vehicle with some limited autonomy could use in joining a roadway queue that would improve the safety of the occupants.