Requirement analysis for building practical accident warning systems based on Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks

An Accident Warning System (AWS) is a safety application that provides collision avoidance notifications for next generation vehicles whilst Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) provide the communication functionality to exchange these notifications. Despite much previous research, there is little agreement on the requirements for accident warning systems. In order to build a practical warning system, it is important to ascertain the system requirements, information to be exchanged, and protocols needed for communication between vehicles. This paper presents a practical model of an accident warning system by stipulating the requirements in a realistic manner and thoroughly reviewing previous proposals with a view to identify gaps in this area.