Road traffic accidents are a large public health concern, causing 1.19 million deaths annually and ranking as the leading cause of death among young people aged 5–29. While substantial progress in reducing road fatalities was made over the past 50 years, in many countries such as the Netherlands this progress is stagnating.
Recent technological advances, particularly in vehicle automation and artificial intelligence, have transformed modern vehicles into machines equipped with advanced sensing and computing capabilities. While full automation remains a distant goal, these technological developments present new opportunities for improving human driving performance. Additionally, the widespread adoption of smartphones, with their built-in sensors and computing power, offers potential for data collection and analysis even in vehicles without advanced safety features.
This dissertation aims to develop and evaluate algorithms capable of detecting patterns in human driving behavior, focusing specifically on car and truck drivers. The research investigates both practical, accessible methods using existing technology and more advanced approaches using artificial intelligence and automated driving systems. The dissertation is structured in three parts…