Project 1d: Car accident re-creation and education applets
for CS7496/CS4496, instructor Jarek Rossignac


Nick Baughman (gtg853g)
William Blatt (gtg785r)


Purpose of the Project

Create a car accident reporting/teaching software, that is a complete applet for designing, saving, and replaying accidents. Examples of types of accidents are presented and animated, and the ways to avoid them are also provided. Providing these visual depictions/simulations of accidents and decriptions of how they are caused and how they can be avoided may be useful for defensive driving lessons for online courses. Giving the user the ability to edit and create his own new animated incident, will help them see new and unforeseen possibilities involved with vehicular saftey and their possible dangers.

To view this content, you need to install Java from java.com

Commands

  • Drag keyframe points to change positions.
  • Press 'a' to animate. ('A' to display/edit control points)
  • Press 'p' to show/hide car paths.
  • Press 'c' to reset cars.
  • Press 's' to reset streets.
  • Press 'f' to animate how accident could have been avoided by incorrect driver. ('F' to display/edit control points)
  • Press 'd' to animate how accident could have been avoided by defensive driver. ('D' to display/edit control points)
  • Press 'S' to save the scene.
  • Hold 'spacebar' to show object handles for movement.

Source code: accident pts

Built with Processing


Accident Types

CHOP: Red cuts into a left turn and hits the green car waiting at a red light or stop. Stay on the right. Delay turn. Turn wheel quickly. Plan to end close to the curb after the turn.

To Prevent It: Green stops 3 feet before the crossing and close to the right curb, unless she will turn right.

Chop Animation
SWING: Red swings out during a right turn and hits the green car waiting at a red light or stop. Start close to the median. Go slowly. Delay turn. Turn wheel quickly.

To Prevent It: Green stops 3 feet before the crossing and close to the right curb, unless she will turn right.

Swing Animation
SWITCH: Red changes lanes and pushes green that he did not notice. Orient external mirrors properly and use them. Check if right lane is clear. Use turn signal 5 secs before. Turn head to check.

To Prevent It: Green avoids being in the dead angle of red. She guesses that red may switch lanes because blue is slow. She has her hand on the horn and her foot on the brake.

Switch Animation
POP (from right): Blue has left a gap for red to get through. Red turns left, but did not see green coming. Do not pop unless you have visibility. Go very slowly so that green can see you in time to stop.

To Prevent It: Green sees the gap or the street ahead. She slows down. She has her hand on the horn and her foot on the brake.

Pop Animation (from right)
POP (from left): Red turns left through a gap left by blue. He did not see green. Do not pop unless you have visibility. Go very slowly so that green can see you in time to stop.

To Prevent It: Green sees the gap or the street ahead. She slows down. She has her hand on the horn and her foot on the brake.

Pop Animation (from left)
PASSING: Passing on two-lane roads can be dangerous due to visibility problems and misjudgments of speed. It is important that drivers know what to do in these situations to prevent a head-on collision.

To Prevent It: Green driver should see other driver passing, and if it appears the other driver is not backing off, should immediately begin braking and attempt to get to shoulder of road if possible.

Passing Animation

Driving Simulators

Defensive Driving