Synthesizing fatal crashes involving partially automated vehicles and comparing with fatal crashes involving non-automated vehicles

Automated vehicles (AVs) are expected to improve safety by gradually reducing human decisions while driving. However, there are still questions on their effectiveness as we transition from almost 0% AVs to 100% AVs with different levels of vehicle autonomy. The focus of this study, therefore, is on synthesizing and identifying risk factors influencing fatal crashes involving partially automated vehicles (PAVs) i.e., level 1 AVs and level 2 AVs, in the United States. Fatal crashes involving non-AVs (level 0 vehicles) within their vicinity were used for comparison, to minimize unobserved heterogeneity and randomness associated with the influencing risk factors. The fatal crash data for the years 2016 to 2019 is used for the analysis. A partial proportional odds model is developed using crash, road, and vehicle characteristics as independent variables while the fatal crash involving a vehicle with a specific level of automation (0, 1, or 2) is used as the dependent variable. The level of automation was captured by developing tools and identifying advanced features in each vehicle based on the vehicle identification number (VIN). The odds ratios varied for PAVs compared to non-AVs. PAVs are safer but are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash with non-motorists. Pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) and lane-keeping assistance (LKA) were observed to improve safety by reducing possible collision with a pedestrian and roadside departure, respectively. Contrarily, vehicles with other smart features are still highly likely to be involved in fatal crashes, demanding further research and attention.