Provably safe and human-like car-following behaviors: Part 2. A parsimonious multi-phase model with projected braking

TL;DR

This paper introduces a mathematically rigorous, multi-phase car-following model that ensures safety and human-like driving behavior by incorporating projected braking and bounded acceleration, validated through simulations.

Contribution

A novel multi-phase, projection-based car-following model that guarantees safety and emulates human driving patterns, extending existing models with a new control law and phase analysis.

Findings

Model achieves collision-free operation under initial conditions.

Ensures bounded deceleration and safe stopping distances.

Numerical simulations demonstrate superior safety and human-likeness.

Abstract

Ensuring safe and human-like trajectory planning for automated vehicles amidst real-world uncertainties remains a critical challenge. While existing car-following models often struggle to consistently provide rigorous safety proofs alongside human-like acceleration and deceleration patterns, we introduce a novel multi-phase projection-based car-following model. This model is designed to balance safety and performance by incorporating bounded acceleration and deceleration rates while emulating key human driving principles. Building upon a foundation of fundamental driving principles and a multi-phase dynamical systems analysis (detailed in Part 1 of this study \citep{jin2025WA20-02_Part1}), we first highlight the limitations of extending standard models like Newell's with simple bounded deceleration. Inspired by human drivers' anticipatory behavior, we mathematically define and analyze projected braking profiles for both leader and follower vehicles, establishing safety criteria and new phase definitions based on the projected braking lead-vehicle problem. The proposed parsimonious model combines an extended Newell's model for nominal driving with a new control law for scenarios requiring projected braking. Using speed-spacing phase plane analysis, we provide rigorous mathematical proofs of the model's adherence to defined safe and human-like driving principles, including collision-free operation, bounded deceleration, and acceptable safe stopping distance, under reasonable initial conditions. Numerical simulations validate the model's superior performance in achieving both safety and human-like braking profiles for the stationary lead-vehicle problem. Finally, we discuss the model's implications and future research directions.