An Experimental Study on Appropriate Distance for Driver on Platooning -- Relationship Driver's Feature, Distance and Benefit

Among the traffic problems, the saving energy is one of the hot topics. It is well-known that the shortening distance between the vehicles reduces aero resistance of them and short distance leads energy-saving. Some projects where tracks or vehicles travel in a platoon with short distance headway from the preceding vehicle by using automated driving system or driver assistance system have been done. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the size of preceding vehicle and the distance between two vehicles when the driver would like to obtain the benefit from short distance. The experimental study with real vehicles on the test track was done in order to evaluate it. Some drivers who usually drive were employed as experimental subjects. The experimental result showed the interesting relationship among the size of preceding vehicle, the category of subjects and amount of the benefit from short distance.