A Parametric Study of Collision Avoidance between Heavy Goods Vehicles and Cyclists

Bringing more, possibly longer, articulated vehicles to urban areas for goods delivery provides significant benefits, in terms of lower fuel consumption and more efficient operation. However it may also increase the risk of accidents with vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians and cyclists. Simulations of HGV cornering manoeuvres were carried out to examine the vehicle’s cut-in and closing speed to the curb. A collision avoidance strategy was proposed and simulated, based on an assumption of constant acceleration for both the HGV and the cyclist. A left-turning manoeuvre was adopted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed collision avoidance strategy. Varying cyclist’s speed and its initial distance relative to the HGV, the simulation results were mapped to estimate the proportion of accidents that could be avoided by such a system.