Nord University at ICTCT 2025: How Ramp Design and Traffic Shape Automated Driving Safety

Oct 25, 2025

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At the ICTCT 2025 Conference in Berlin, Nord University, together with Politecnico di Torino (Italy) presented research on a key question for the future of mobility: how road design and traffic conditions influence driver take-over when using automated driving systems.

Why This Matters

Cars with conditional automation (Level 3) can handle most driving tasks, but they still need a human driver to step in when the system reaches its limits. This “take-over” moment is critical for safety. If the driver reacts too slowly or struggles to regain control, the risk of an accident increases.

Our Study

Together with Politecnico di Torino, we tested 80 drivers in Norway and Italy using high-fidelity driving simulators. We looked at:

Ramp design: tapered vs. parallel
Ramp length: short vs. long
Traffic flow: light vs. heavy

Drivers experienced both automated mode and manual driving, while we measured reaction times, acceleration, and eye movements.

What We Found

Ramp design matters: Drivers regained control faster on tapered ramps than on parallel ones.
Ramp length influences urgency: Longer ramps were linked to slower take-over in merging scenarios.
Traffic flow had little direct effect on take-over time, but further analysis is needed.
Cross-country differences: Italian drivers generally took longer to respond and showed bigger changes between manual and automated driving, while Norwegian drivers were more consistent.
Experience counts: Driving experience influenced reaction times and acceleration patterns.

Main outcomes

As automated cars become more common, road design and driver behavior will play a big role in safety. Our findings suggest that adapting infrastructure—or adding smart support systems—could make these transitions safer and easier.

Looking Ahead