All language subtitles for NOVA.S52E10.Ultimate.Crash.Test.Countdown.1080p.WEB.h264-BAE_track3_[eng]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
On a stretch of tarmac on the
west coast of Scotland...

(handheld radio beeping)

CRASH CONTROLLER:
Team JLB, confirm all cars

are good to go, please.

NARRATOR:
For the first time ever,

a team of automotive experts

will attempt to create
something extraordinary.

LLOYD BASS:
Whoo! We have a runner.

NARRATOR:
A wildly ambitious experiment

to find out
how drivers react...

JAMES BRIGHTON:
Rolling, rolling in the F-150.

NARRATOR:
...and vehicle safety systems
respond.

There is no take two.

(tires squealing)

NARRATOR:
Real-life multi-vehicle

crash tests.

What the hell's that?

Oh my god!

CAITLAN (shouting):
What is going on?

NARRATOR:
But how do you design
such an experiment...

BRIGHTON:
We can't put people in the cars

because we're creating
a massive collision.

NARRATOR:
...yet keep everyone safe?

(glass shattering)

(squealing, metal crunching)

(car beeping)
I've just crashed.

♪ ♪

Frankly, we don't know
what's going to happen.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
"Ultimate Crash Test:
Countdown."

Right now, on "NOVA."

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Multi-vehicle pileups
can be deadly.

(glass and metal crunching)

Each of these highway
crashes is unique,

with different causes
and different outcomes.

But analyzing these events
is difficult.

Forensic crash investigation
can only study the aftermath

of these deadly incidents

by picking through
the debris left behind.

They rarely get to see
exactly how the crash unfolded.

But what if there were a way
to scientifically study

something this unpredictable,
complex, and dangerous?

To stage a real-life
high-speed pileup

without putting anyone
in harm's way?

Such an experiment could produce

an unprecedented
amount of data

on cars and their drivers.

Data that could be used

to focus further
automotive safety research

and ultimately make safer cars
and better drivers.

An experiment that would put

crash analysis
of a major pileup to the test,

to discover just how accurate
it really is.

It would be a huge
engineering challenge.

But one team believes
it can create

a real-life
high-speed pileup.

♪ ♪

It's never been done before.

It's full of technical
challenges

that we have to overcome.

But there will definitely be

something to learn
from the event as it unfolds.

(crowd shouting)

NARRATOR:
Making cars safer
is a challenge

engineers have been
wrestling with

since the earliest days
of car design.

Your vehicle's job

is not just to get you

from point A to point B,

it's to get you from

point A to point B safely.

(metal crunching)

NARRATOR:
Car manufacturers strive

to develop
ever safer vehicles,

spending billions
designing cars

that can perform better
in laboratory crash tests.

It's a practice that was
introduced by General Motors

almost a century ago.

DAVID TWOHIG:
They were the first to do

the very basic first
crash test back in 1934.

(crashing)

This was really the curiosity

of the GM engineers at the time

to understand their product
and start to improve safety.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Nowadays,

organizations like

the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety in Virginia

have taken testing to
the next level.

Here, within
this temple of science...

(smashing)

...cars are destroyed by
remote control,

week in, week out,

all in a quest
for better road safety.

The work that we do here

is a lot of fun,

there's a lot of opportunities

to crash vehicles,

destroy stuff,

but it has
real-world meaning.

And everything comes back to
that real-world element.

The vehicle is going to
come through those doors,

enter the crash hall
at 40 miles an hour,

and strike with 40%

of the vehicle's front end,
the driver side,

striking this part
of the barrier.

NARRATOR:
Before the crash,
technicians apply

a special grease paint
to the crash test dummies

that will transfer to

anything they hit
during the impact.

MUELLER:
If this dummy
hits the airbag,

we're able to really see
what side of the face

as well as what part
of the face or the legs

are hitting
parts of the car.

OPERATOR:
Could I have an accident
trigger check?

MAN (on radio):
You should have it.

(beeps)
Thank you.

NARRATOR:
The crash car itself
will have no driver

but will be propelled
along a track,

so the vehicle can maintain
a constant speed and direction.

♪ ♪

OPERATOR (on speaker):
Charging is complete.

Test commence
in three, two, one.

♪ ♪

(whooshing)

(airbag inflating)

(crunching)

(glass shattering)

(crunching, shattering
continues)

(car fragmenting)

(debris falling)

MUELLER:
So, the dummies give us

a summary sheet

of their results

and what injury metrics

they consider would be

a high risk of injuries.

And all of these
indications show

that both the driver
and the rear passenger

are looking good.

Survivable crash,
low risk of injury.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
The data collected from

single car laboratory
crash tests

help inform
ever-safer vehicle design.

But how does this...

(crunching)

...compare to this?

(smashing)

(shattering)

So, the beauty of
a lab-based crash test

is everything is controlled,
everything is repeatable.

But unfortunately,
the real world

is not a laboratory, and
there are many, many variables.

So I think that's
the limitation of the lab.

It's almost too good.

NARRATOR:
Which is where
James Brighton comes in.

He's head of the Advanced
Vehicle Engineering Centre

at Cranfield University,
50 miles north of London.

He wants to run an experiment
that will combine

the crash lab
with the real world

by adding real drivers
to a real crash.

To achieve this, James needs
to come up with a plan

that not only creates
a realistic pileup,

but also doesn't
put anyone in danger.

This idea of a multi-vehicle
collision isn't new.

However, the scale of this
is really very large.

We need some
very advanced systems

that are going to work

to create the collision.

But also we need

some very advanced systems
to be able to capture it.

NARRATOR:
This experiment has
several aims.

It will investigate
how different cars fare

in a multi-vehicle
high-speed crash,

analyze how
ordinary drivers react

when in such
a nightmare situation...

(beeping)

and put forensic
crash investigation

to the test
to see how accurate

current accident analysis
really is.

(distant sirens)

All with the objective

of improving our knowledge
and understanding

of multi-car pileups

and making roads safer
for all of us.

But can James and his team
rise to the challenge?

TWOHIG:
The automobile has created
a lot of freedom,

but we have created this machine
which kills people,

and we have a duty to try
and reduce its impact

and improve safety
now and in the future.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
A multi-vehicle pileup

needs multiple vehicles.

(door rising)

so James's first job

is to select the cars
he wants to crash.

Eight cars will
take part in the pileup,

each with a different size,

weight, wheelbase,

and engine layout,

selected to
match the randomness

typical of
a real-world pileup.

A trailblazer
of the hybrid era:

the 2012 Toyota Prius.

A sporty convertible,

a 2002
Porsche Boxster series 1.

A high-performance hatchback,

a Volkswagen Golf GTI
from 2009.

A pick-up truck,
the 2012 Ford F-150.

A luxury sedan,
the 2005 Audi A8.

A 2010 minivan,

the seven-seat
Dodge Grand Caravan.

A sport utility vehicle,
the 2005 Mercedes ML.

And finally,
a commercial van.

In this case, a British
2012 Vauxhall Vivaro.

BRIGHTON:
The cars all have very
interesting characteristics

in terms of their size
and their mass,

and so we want to try
and represent

a nice broad scope of cars
that would be representative

of a modern highway
environment.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Four of the cars will be

driven by experts from
James's team:

Mark,

Aisha,

Pete,

and Chunhui.
(closes car door)

The other four drivers
are to be specially selected

from the great
motoring public.

I've had a few accidents
over the past few years.

I would say
I'm behind the wheel

seven days a week,
easily.

People that can't drive well
shouldn't be driving,

they irritate me the most.

I don't think there should be
speed limits on M25.

I'll get you to A to Z
real quick.

NARRATOR:
After an intensive
selection process,

examining driving style,
experience,

and psychological suitability,

the team chooses
four drivers.

♪ ♪

First up is American surfer,

57-year-old Tito.

TITO:
The reason why I love
surfing is

it allows me to escape

from the hustle and bustle,

from... from the city life.

I come to the coast
and just escape from it all

and just be one
with the sea.

That's what I love.

NARRATOR:
Having driven in both
the U.K. and the U.S.,

Tito believes
he's developed into

a confident,
yet chilled out driver.

I'm not a perfect driver,
but I do

abide by the rules

and I'm not a wild driver.

I have a car
that doesn't go fast--

it's just a cruiser.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
The next driver

is the least experienced
road user.

CAITLAN (voiceover):
My name is Caitlan,

I live in Liverpool,
and I'm 19.

I've been driving now for

around six or seven months.

NARRATOR:
In the U.S., there are
about 25 million drivers

aged between 17 and 24;

roughly 10% of the total.

(motor humming)

And this age group is involved
in more fatal accidents

than any other.

♪ ♪

With only a few more years'

experience on the road
is Luke, a 26-year-old

construction worker.

(laughing):
Bang bang!

(engine revving, sputtering)

LUKE (voiceover):
As a driver,

I'm more of a boy racer.

I love driving really fast
when it's safe to do so,

but at the same time,
you know,

there's got to be
an element of risk

to really get your
adrenaline pumping.

NARRATOR:
In the U.S. in 2022,

young male drivers were
more than twice as likely

to be involved
in a fatal accident

than young female drivers.

♪ ♪

The final driver is
66-year-old care worker

and grandmother, Lynn.

GPS (on speaker):
Make a right.
Right.

(car horn honking)

It's always a bloody man!

NARRATOR:
In the U.S.,

22% of drivers
are aged 65 and over.

LYNN (voiceover):
I'm quite a confident driver.

I'd rate myself maybe...

(blowing out air)

seven, eight?

Eight, yeah...
pushing to nine.

(laughs)

Possibly a ten sometimes.
(laughs)

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
To make the pileup
as realistic as possible,

and to capture genuine
reactions,

the drivers must not know

the experiment involves
a multi-car collision.

They have just been told its
aim is to improve road safety.

The selection process included
a psychological evaluation

to ensure they can
handle the pressure

and emotional challenge
of the experiment to come.

Observing these four drivers

throughout the experiment

will be Natasha Merat,
an experimental psychologist

specializing in
human behavior on the roads.

♪ ♪

She will be analyzing
the human factors,

assessing how
the drivers react

when faced with an unavoidable
high-speed pileup.

This is a bit of a hybrid
between real world

and a more controlled
environment.

So, you're seeing drivers

actually controlling
the vehicles,

and that's really unique,
I think.

NARRATOR:
With cars and drivers selected,

the experiment now needs
a location.

(rumbling)

A nearly two-mile-long
airport taxiway

at a former military base
on the west coast of Scotland

is the perfect setting.

It's wide enough
that we can create

our slow lane,
middle lane, and fast lane,

plus a hard shoulder

and a lane
for oncoming traffic.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
With the cars, location,

and drivers locked in,

there's one outstanding issue:

pileups can kill.

So how can James Brighton
guarantee the drivers' safety?

(tires screeching)

(banging, crashing)

So essentially, we can't put
people in the cars

because we're creating
a massive collision.

which sounds obvious,

but that's, that's
our starting point.

NARRATOR:
James's plan to keep
the drivers safe

is to adapt his fleet of cars

so that each one
can be driven remotely.

Eight small city cars

will be transformed into
control pods,

sending signals
from a safe distance

to the cars on the track.

These signals will
trigger actions like

turning, accelerating,
and braking.

But for this to work,
cameras, radio links,

and robotics
need to be fitted.

Pneumatic pistons
will operate the brakes

while electric motors
will control

the accelerator
and steering.

BRIGHTON:
Good.

A little more grease...

That's it, perfect.

(voiceover):
So, the person in the pod

will press the brake pedal.

That will send
the signal to this car,

which then makes
this actuator move

to push that brake pedal
to the same amount

that the occupant in the pod
is pressing the pedal.

(pneumatics hissing)

NARRATOR:
Which means the car
responds perfectly

to the driver's actions,
however subtle.

♪ ♪

So, we've got steering,
brakes, and throttle

all done on this one?
Yeah.

Yeah, and the same
on the Golf?
Yep.

Brilliant.

NARRATOR:
They now need to transform

the fleet of compact,
two-seater smart cars

into control pods.

(mechanical hissing)

BRIGHTON:
So, we need to tune the pods

so that the behavior
of the real car...

feels realistic to the driver.

So for example,
when they move the throttle

a certain amount
in the Smart car,

we want that to be
proportionate

to the acceleration
you would expect

if you were sat in the real car
at that moment in time.

(indistinct talking)

NARRATOR:
For the drivers,

the pods will look and feel

like regular cars.

However, their actions
won't control

the car they're sitting in.

Instead,
they will send commands

to the specially
adapted track cars.

So this is an encoder

to measure steering wheel
position.

And we've actually got

a sensor that's got
a lot of resolution.

So we can measure to
0.07 of a degree,

which is quite important
when you're--

if you imagine
driving on a motorway.

The amount of steering input
you put to change lanes

is quite small.

(clicking)

BRIGHTON:
So Mateus,
would you like to go

and press your foot
on the brake pedal?

MATEUS:
Anything?
Yeah.

BRIGHTON:
Press the throttle.

There we go.

NARRATOR:
With the equipment fitted
in the control pods,

James now needs to get

those pods to
talk to the test cars.

So we need a radio network

that will take
the signals from the pods

and then send
a signal to the cars

on the other end
of the runway.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
James has chosen to use

a point-to-point
radio network,

similar to
a walkie-talkie system.

Once on location
in Scotland,

the stationary control pods,

housed off the track
in an enclosure,

will send data
to the track cars

via a single radio relay.

(beeping)

And so that
the drivers in the pods

can see where
their cars are going,

the eight track cars
will send a live camera feed

back to the control pods.

(beeping)

BRIGHTON:
Will it work?

It will.
It will.

It will work,
of course it will work.

(laughing)

Okay, Calvin,
can you go full lock left?

(mechanical humming)

And full lock right?

Now--

really quickly,
like that.

(whirring)

Perfect.

NARRATOR:
The Ford pickup has been
successfully paired

with its control pod.

Now it's time to see
if it works

on the test track
at Cranfield.

♪ ♪

Exciting, isn't it?
It's good, isn't it, yeah.

NARRATOR:
A video screen is
positioned in front of

professional
stunt driver Paul,

who today will operate
the remote controls.

The screen will
display the live feed

from a camera placed
at eye level

in the driver's seat
of the moving pickup.

BRIGHTON:
A little bit down, just a tad.

That's it.

Perfect.

(engine revving)

Okay,
track is clear and live.

KIM BLACKBURN (on radio):
Okay, we're in first gear.

So, I'm moving off
in three, two, one...

go.

BASS:
It's looking good.

So when you get to
the end, Paul,

turn tightly
and come down the middle.

PAUL:
Yeah, okay.

BASS:
And then basically
at this speed,

just go left and right.

PAUL:
So turning right a bit.

BASS:
Yeah.

PAUL:
And left a bit.

Yeah, it feels good.

The hard thing to
judge is depth.

NARRATOR:
The robotics are
performing well.

BRIGHTON:
So what do you think,
then, guys?

We just need to-- bit of work
to do on the brakes,

that's all, I think.

It's a little bit rough
around the edges,

and the speed we were doing,

we've got to more
than double that.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Part of the experiment

is to study how the cars
themselves fare in a crash.

Black box recorders will
provide huge amounts of data.

And helping James evaluate
how the cars

and their safety systems
perform,

is crash analysis expert
Janet Bahouth.

So, my main interest will be

looking at the damage of the
vehicle

and to see how that

influenced the survivability

of the crash, and learn
from that so that tomorrow,

somebody else
can benefit from it.

NARRATOR:
In the U.S.,

around 50% of
the vehicle occupants

who die in a car crash

are not wearing
their seatbelts.

(glass shattering,
metal crunching)

So, for the crash test,

both belted
and unbelted dummies

will be placed
in the cars.

(airbag inflating)

BAHOUTH:
For me, the most important
safety feature

in our cars these days
is the seatbelt.

It's that seatbelt that is
going to be your lifesaver.

(indistinct radio chatter)

NARRATOR:
So, what causes pileups
in the real world?

The causes of crashes are
really complex.

It's not just a single factor,

like speed or weather
or distraction;

it's often many factors
coming together.

(siren wailing)

NARRATOR:
Going too fast for
the conditions

is a common feature
of pileups.

ANDY SHELTON:
So in February of 2021,

in the Fort Worth area
on Interstate 35,

there was a
chain reaction crash.

About 133 vehicles
were involved in the crash.

Multiple fatalities.
Half a dozen people died.

Numerous people injured.

NARRATOR:
One of the likely factors
in this horrific pileup

was black ice.

SHELTON:
All of a sudden, they're in
an uncontrollable situation.

And once they hit the ice,
there is no stopping.

(banging, screeching)

(repeated crashing)

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
It's incidents like this
that have inspired

the scenario for
James's experiment.

His plan is to replicate

the conditions of icy roads
for the crash.

(sirens wailing)

If we can make the road
more slippery,

then you will start to see

what the effect of that
will be on

the stopping distances
of the cars.

(booming)

NARRATOR:
To identify the perfect surface

to match the
slippery conditions,

James and his team have
covered a section of tarmac

with three different
ice substitutes.

Gravel...

oil and water...

and oil on its own.

The gravel, we know that
could be a bit like marbles.

Could be a little surprise
on that one.

And oil on its own, obviously,

we're expecting that to reduce
friction,

so that could skid quite well.

However, I am kind of

pointing more towards
the oil and water,

if I'm brutally honest.

But I could be wrong.

NARRATOR:
But which surface most
closely replicates

the stopping distance
on an icy road?

To find out,
stunt driver Paul

will drive at a moderate
40 miles per hour

then hit the brakes

when his car reaches
each surface.

(clicking)

First up: oil.

BASS:
Okay, Paul.

So, right lane,
just the oil.

(on radio):
In three, two, one.

Action.

(engine rumbling)

(screeching)

(engine stops)
Okay.

Turn your Logger off.

Stay there for a second.

NARRATOR:
The next lane combines
oil and water,

and because
oil floats on water,

the team believes
this mixture

will reduce traction
even further.

BASS (on radio):
Okay, Paul.

So this is oil and water.

(on radio):
In three, two, one.
Action.

(engine revving)

BASS:
Blimey.

To be honest,

that's--
that's a shocker.

That's like a foot
and a half further

than oil on its own,
and that's it.

NARRATOR:
Neither option has come
anywhere close

to providing the reduced
friction the team needs,

so they are now pinning
all their hopes

on the loose gravel.

BASS (on radio):
Okay, Paul, stand by.

So it's Gravel Lane.

(on radio):
Ready? And three, two, one.

Action.

(engine revving)

(tires squealing)

BASS (chuckling):
That actually is a surprise.

That-- that is a surprise.

Okay, folks, stay there.

NARRATOR:
Unexpectedly,
loose gravel looks to be

the best substitute
to replicate ice.

As soon as I touched
the brakes,

there's nothing.
It just went on and on.

Was it just--
(mimics engine sputtering)

constantly
trying to do something?
Yeah.

And, um,
whereas the other two,

they felt exactly the same.

And the distance was...

BASS:
Very, very predictable.
PAUL: Yeah.

NARRATOR:
The gravel reduced the
grip on the road

just as freezing conditions
affect traction.

The team decides to use it
in the crash test in Scotland.

But ice on the road
isn't enough.

Something will still
need to instigate the crash.

One of the worst accident types

is where a vehicle crosses

the central reservation
into oncoming traffic.

NARRATOR:
And it's this very scenario
that James and his team

will aim to recreate.

We've chosen a heavy truck

which will initiate
the accident.

NARRATOR:
This truck,
also remotely controlled

to keep the driver safe,

will cross the center line
and block the entire road,

leaving the drivers
only seconds to react.

With all the vehicles
now fully-prepped,

drivers chosen and a mechanism
for the crash decided upon,

the team is ready
to stage the multi-car pileup.

A crew of automotive engineers

and technicians has descended

onto the west coast of Scotland.

Where the crash test will
take place in less than a week.

Go very left, first.
That's it.

Keep it on that. That's it.
Keep it on there.

Now straighten up.

NARRATOR:
For the unsuspecting drivers,

the true nature of the
experiment

will only become clear once
their remote-controlled cars

are barreling down this.

♪ ♪

This taxiway is available
to the crash team for a week.

After that, they'll lose access.

But for now,
it's been transformed

into a nearly
two-mile stretch of highway.

With white lines, a shoulder,

and highway-grade barriers
designed to contain the crash.

♪ ♪

Everything
must be up and running

before the drivers arrive.

Including the
radio communication system.

The radio link worked well on
the test track in Cranfield,

but it could be
a very different matter in

the continuously
changing atmospheric conditions

and radio-signal rich
environment of a live airport.

(engine idling)

(engine starts, revs)

Okay.

You're in drive.

NARRATOR:
The Audi is the first car
to be tested.

With the track cars on
the tarmac,

all the pods are positioned in a
temporary enclosure

a safe distance away.

Video screens and blackout
drapes have been fitted

to enhance the immersive
experience for the drivers.

Professional stunt driver
Paul

is controlling the Audi from
its linked control pod.

Yeah, we're going to go straight
to 70.

I'm happy to.

Going for it now.

Well he's moving,
I'll give him that.

BASS (on radio):
Let me know when
you're at 70, please.

BRIGHTON:
That's 70. At 70.

BASS:
Excellent. Thanks, guys.

70, whoa!

Whoo! We have a runner.

NARRATOR:
The remote-controlled Audi

has achieved the target speed
on its first attempt.

It's a milestone for the team.

But then...

(loud burst, beeping)

PAUL:
Hang on, we've had a stop.

BRIGHTON:
Yeah, we've just had a stop,
Kim.

PAUL:
It's not responding.

NARRATOR:
The Audi has
automatically engaged

its brakes--

a critical failure.

James needs to figure out
what the issue is,

and get the whole pack running,

before he loses access
to the test highway.

BRIGHTON:
Kim, I've just E-stopped it.

Can you just come up to the car

and just have a quick check,
please?

(engine sputtering)

NARRATOR:
They meticulously inspect data
from the test run

to try
and understand what happened.

For safety, the cars are
programmed to automatically

apply the brakes if
the radio signal is disrupted,

suggesting there
was a loss of communication.

So, the car has to be able

to communicate continuously

with the pods,

or the base stations here,

or they will stop.

Clearly, it's a massive issue,

if we're doing a drive
along the road,

and one of the cars stops.

NARRATOR:
Soon, they zero in on

the airport's high powered
navigation beam

as one of the likely causes
of the dropout.

BLACKBURN:
One of the challenges
of this site

is that it's an airfield,
and there are some active

navigational beacons
relatively close to the area.

They're a completely
different frequency,

but they're really high power.

(on radio):
The radios are trying,
but when they drop out,

they drop out
for several seconds.

We can't work reliably.
It's not safe.

NARRATOR:
This level of uncertainty
could jeopardize

the whole experiment,
before it's even begun.

BRIGHTON (on radio):
So, obviously, we can't

change location--
is there another radio solution?

BLACKBURN (on radio):
We've tried filters. It helps.

But this radio is not enough.

NARRATOR:
This is a devastating blow
to the experiment.

The loss of radio communication

isn't just a glitch--
it's a fundamental failure.

And it leaves James with
no choice--

he'll have to cancel the
crash test

and return
to Cranfield University.

BRIGHTON:
It became fairly obvious

our only solution, really,

was to say, "Okay,
we need to postpone this."

That's a pretty disastrous
thing to have happened,

But I think

our mission had always been to
create the best system we could.

And if putting a pause
into it is the way to do that,

then clearly
from our perspective,

that's the optimal choice.

♪ ♪

Right, antennas.
Okay, first one 2.4.

Green, right?
That's good.

Yeah, green.
Red.

Okay, ready to power on.

NARRATOR:
It's taken a year-and-half,

but James and his team
have returned to Scotland

with a new plan

and a new radio system,

one they hope will be able

to maintain
connection with the cars.

SAM:
That's good and sturdy.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Instead of
a point-to-point system

with a single transmission path,

they're pivoting
to a mesh network.

Like a cell phone network,

it allows for
multiple connections

between
the cars and control pods.

14 transceivers called nodes
form the network.

One each of the
eight track cars,

one back at the pod tent feeding
the control cars,

and five
spread throughout the track.

Each one acts as a junction
to route data

back and forth between the pods
and the cars...

This means,
if one path is blocked,

the signal simply re-routes...
and finds another path.

PETE:
Green light on it?

SAM:
Yeah, Green is good.

NARRATOR:
The new system should handle
any interference

from the airport's antenna,

identified as one of the reasons
for the radio dropout

that led
to the Audi's emergency stop.

Well that's the theory,
at least.

BRIGHTON (radio squawk):
Car is in park,
and we're ready...

NARRATOR:
So with the new system
up and running...

BLACKBURN:
Okay, James, so we've got engine
started down this end.

I've got steering initialized.
BRIGHTON: 10-4.

We're ready to move off.
Three, two, one.

And remote
control car is rolling.

BLACKBURN (radio squawk):
You'll need more left hand
lock, more left hand lock.

NARRATOR:
For the first time,

two cars head out

onto the track together to see

if the new system can cope.

BRIGHTON (radio squawk):
We are right on
the edge now here,

so I'm just gonna take it
gently down

to the bottom of the track.

Out of hold and brake applied.

(radio squawk):
Okay, so we are now ready to go,

so do you want to count us down?

BLACKBURN (on radio):
Yes, so three, two, one-- go.

BRIGHTON:
Go!

NARRATOR:
If either car
loses communication,

it could kill
the experiment once again.

But this time,

there'd be no coming back
for another try.

Oh nice!

(laughs)

BLACKBURN (on radio):
That looks gorgeous by the way.

You are picking up speed
very quickly.

BRIGHTON:
70 miles an hour.
75 miles an hour.

Gosh, this one's a quick one!

NARRATOR:
James and team driver Mahdi,
have complete control

over the fast-moving cars.

Robotics and the new radio
system are working perfectly.

A big relief!

BLACKBURN:
It's kind of magic.

The system that we've
gone to has got

this great robustness
and so it just means

we can let the cars run.

This is what happy looks like!

(on radio):
Okay, James, free to come back
in your own time.

Okay Kim, we'll come back
in exit one, over.

So that was amazing--
two cars at 70 miles an hour

being remotely
controlled down the motorway.

Absolutely super.
No drop outs.

Held lane very nicely indeed--
yeah, wonderful!

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Out on the track,

attention turns
to the remote-controlled truck;

the vehicle that will instigate
the crash.

BRIGHTON:
So we're using a very similar
remote control system

for this,
so we have a radio link.

We have an input,
which in this case isn't a pod,

it's a second set of
driving controls

that we're using

for the driver to control
this vehicle remotely.

It's much better if you can,

for the driver to eyeball
it directly and then he can

take his cue directly
from what he sees on track.

NARRATOR:
As the unsuspecting drivers
approach at high speed,

team driver Scotty will
launch the truck remotely

from a platform
overseeing the track.

With steering locked,

the truck will cross
the centerline

to block all three lanes.

ANT (radio squawk):
Good to go.

Three, two, one...

(engages brakes)

BRIGHTON:
So Scott, how did that look?

It's pretty good, actually.
Yeah?

SCOTT:
Couldn't get any
closer to that barrier.

BRIGHTON:
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

It's about six seconds
to this line here.

Yeah, lovely.

This is effectively the
scenario that will be painted

in front of the drivers,

so they'll be
approaching this point.

Absolutely, a worse case
scenario for someone.

(chuckling):
It really is. Yeah.
Driving along a motorway.

You would not want to be
presented with this.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
The next step is to pair each
volunteer driver with the car

that best suits their individual
personality and driving style.

Cautious Lynn gets
the eco-friendly Prius,

racer Luke takes
the speedy Golf GTI,

new-driver Caitlan
gets the luxurious Porsche,

and laid-back surfer
Tito is handed

the rugged F-150.

Now, they need
to learn how to drive them.

♪ ♪

Come on.

NARRATOR:
First up for
driver training is Tito.

Okay.

That's my car right there.

Got my name on it.

Wow, this is going to be fun

Hello, Tito.
Hello, James.

Are you ready?
I'm ready. Let's go!

NARRATOR:
The Ford F-150,

popular in the U.S.,

has a high driving position.

BRIGHTON:
So the main difference,
Tito, is

obviously you're not moving
so you don't feel
the acceleration cues.

You've basically got
to look at the speedo,

okay, to get an idea of
how quick you're going.

TITO:
All right.

BRIGHTON:
Three, two, one-- moving off.

(beeping)

Rolling, rolling
in the F-150.

(James chuckles)

TITO:
Look at this. This is cool.

BRIGHTON:
It's pretty good, isn't it?

You are looking cool,
it has to be said,

you are looking very cool.

I gotta look like...
Cool as a cucumber.

BRIGHTON:
That's it.
You're good. You're good.

TITO:
Almost got a sensation
of movement there.

BRIGHTON (chuckling):
Yeah, you will!
Whoa!

TITO:
That was weird.
BRIGHTON: That's it.

It's at 50 miles an hour
already

and you've only done
500 meters.

NARRATOR:
It's a strong start
for driver training.

Next up is Caitlan.

She's the least
experienced of the drivers.

This is weird.

My seat's gonna
have to come right forward.

(laughing):
I can't touch the pedals!

The view is weird,
isn't it?

Very strange!

BRIGHTON:
It's quite a quick car,
isn't it?

It is.

CAITLAN:
It was hard

the first go, um,
but the third time around,

I got my hands
around the maneuvering.

The steering was a little
bit tough but it's fun as well.

It was exciting.

NARRATOR:
Next on the track

is self-styled racer Luke.

LUKE:
Honestly, I'm so buzzing.

I'm so looking forward
to seeing how fast I can go.

I want to try and get a hundred.

NARRATOR:
In the U.S. in 2022,

about 49% of drivers
surveyed reported

exceeding the speed limit

by 15 miles per hour on a
freeway in the previous month.

And 29% of fatal crashes
involve speeding drivers.

BRIGHTON:
What do you think so far?

Insane.

So even doing
like 50 miles an hour,

this doesn't feel like
you're doing 50 on the screen.

I'm getting the hang of it now.
BRIGHTON: Yeah.

That's 60.

That's 70 miles an hour already.

Mm.
BRIGHTON: That's 80.

You might want to
back off a bit.
LUKE: Oh, yeah, 80!

(both laugh)

(laughter)

NARRATOR:
Last up is Lynn,

the most experienced
and most cautious driver.

(engine idling)

BRIGHTON:
Okay, so you're now in drive.

LYNN:
All right, ooh, and we're off!

There you are!

Oh, yeah.
BRIGHTON:
And off you go.

Ooh, Bloody Nora. Ooh!

I'm going all
over the bloody place.

BRIGHTON:
No, no, no, no, you're not.

I don't know whether these
glasses are...

Oh!
BRIGHTON:
Just really small movements.

Ooh!
Everything's really gentle.

Crikey! Tell me,
how fast am I going?

You're doing 30 now.
Oh, is that all?

BRIGHTON:
Yeah.

Now you're doing 35.

Ah right, there we go,
that's more like it.
There you go.

Come on then! Whee!

There you go.
(laughs heartily)

Granny rides again!

Oh, deary me!

Yeah, I just feel a bit, ooh.

Makes you feel a bit weird.
(chuckles)

But it's good, all good, yeah,
I really enjoyed it.

Apparently,
it was going quite fast.

NARRATOR:
To create a realistic
highway pile up

using remotely driven cars,
it is crucial

that the volunteers

are fully immersed
in the driving experience.

Experimental
psychologist Natasha Merat

is interested to see how
far this immersion goes.

It's really interesting to see

how Tito really

feels like he's driving
that truck.

The way he's sitting,

and he's feeling a bit
higher

and he's putting his arm
on the side,

even though
he's nowhere near that truck.

You can see that what
Luke is seeing

in the road is quite
an immersive environment.

So it's really interesting how
he's basically

using his mirrors
as he's been trained to

do so in
a normal driving environment.

BRIGHTON:
And then go back into the
other lane.

All right. I'll just go--

That's it--
give it an indicator.

Checking the old blind spot.

Yeah! Look at that.

MERAT:
He's totally, like,
he's driving

that that Golf.

That was really, really
impressive to see, actually.

NARRATOR:
It's a good sign.

The drivers are
quickly becoming immersed.

The pods are providing
the realistic driving experience

that this experiment demands.

And the volunteers are
still unaware

of the experiment's full
objective

and what they'll really
be facing the following day.

ALL:
One, two, three-- hurray!

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Hundreds of hours of planning
and preparation

have all built to this point.

Now the team will
discover if it was worth it.

With fewer than two hours
to go before the final run...

And with the drivers off site,

the crash scene is prepared.

As so many piles up
are caused by snow or ice...

...the loose gravel selected
during the ice simulation test

is laid on the track
to increase braking distance.

The gravel will also kick up
dust and reduce visibility,

another common
feature of pileups.

Stationary vehicles are
positioned on the shoulder

to create extra hazards.

Data recorders are switched on.

Dashcams are fired up.

And cameras are secured in
the pods to record the drivers

as they experience the crash.

Crash analysis expert
Janet Bahouth

wants to see how occupants

of the cars would fare
if this were a real accident.

So she has brought along some
special passengers

BAHOUTH:
All right guys,
so in this vehicle,

we'll have two dummies.

We'll have
a dummy in the front seat,

passenger side,
that dummy's belted.

In the back, directly behind
the front seat passenger

is another dummy in the rear.
He's unbelted.

So my job in all of this
is to take a look

at the human aspect of the crash

and what happened to the humans.

Because ultimately,

we're trying to keep them safe
during a crash.

The best scenario would
have been to put them

in the driver's seat.

But today we can't do
that because

we have all of this
instrumentation,

so we'll put them in
the front passenger seat.

In one instance, we'll
put another one in the rear.

Some will be belted,
some won't be belted,

and it's all different scenarios

because that's
how the real world is.

That's great.

Unbelted, yeah.

Just prop him up nice.
There we go.

NARRATOR:
With the cars now all ready...

This is the quintessential
lab test

with real world combined.

Frankly, we don't know
what's going to happen.

NARRATOR:
It's time to bring
the drivers back

to their remote control pods.

They have no idea
what is about to happen.

As far as they're concerned,

this is just
the next driving test.

BRIGHTON:
Hello, everybody.

BRIGHTON:
Welcome back.
CAITLAN: Hello!

Now what we're going to do
is three lanes together, okay?

So what we want to do

is drive up to 70,

just as if you're in a motorway
situation, and then we're just

literally trying to simulate
a motorway drive this time.

Can I go in the slow lane?

(laughter)
LUKE:
Race you!

Oh, it's good to be back!

Oh...

Caitlan, coo-ee!

Yoo-hoo, Lynnie!
Yoo-hoo!

NARRATOR:
All the drivers

seem to have bought
James's story

and are excited to drive
as a pack at high speed.

Jay, is there a peepy horn?

(chuckling):
I'm afraid there isn't, Lynn.
Aw!

NARRATOR:
Four drivers
from the engineering team

take to the remaining pods.

Mark in the Audi

and Chenhui in the Dodge

will drive at the front
of the pack at highway speeds.

While Aisha in the Mercedes
and Pete

in the white van
will bring up the rear.

(radio squawk):
Apex cameras,

confirm all cameras are
rolling and good to go, please.

APEX (on radio):
Apex confirm green to go.

(engine starts)

NARRATOR:
Out on the track,

the truck is fired up.

And team driver Scotty gets
ready

to engage the vehicle
from his viewing platform.

(radio squawk):
Okay, let's launch drones
please,

drones go live.

(drone whirring)

APEX (on radio):
Drones are live.

NARRATOR:
The team is about to find out
how the drivers react

when a 36-ton truck
surprises them

by careening across the highway.

All drivers, can you please
apply the brake pedal hard?

We have now
given you all control.

NARRATOR:
Driving remotely,

they have
no idea what lies ahead.

BRIGHTON:
Now we will
proceed along the motorway.

Drive up to 70 miles an hour.

Please remember,
keep in your lane.

(engines idling)

(radio squawk):
Okay, track is live.

Cars on the move in five,
four,

three, two, one--
action all vehicles.

(engine revving)

Bloody hell,
the Porsche is off!

Blimey,
everyone is steaming away!

Oh, look at them go!

(radio squawk):
800 meters.

Very good. Keep in your lane.

600 meters.

400 meters.

LUKE:
Oh, he's veering. He's veering.

There we go. There we go!

200 meters out.

TITO:
What the hell's that?

(tires screeching)

LYNN:
Whoa!

I can't see!

Oh, oh! Oh my goodness!

(metal crunching,
glass shattering)

TITO:
What? Oh my goodness!

(metal crunching,
glass shattering continues)

LYNN:
Whoa!

(crashing continues)

(tires squealing)

(loud crash)

(engines hissing)

CAITLAN:
I've just crashed!

(laughing):
My god!

(car beeping)

BRIGHTON:
Drivers, there has been
an accident on track.

No cause for alarm.
Everybody is safe.

We will now investigate.

NARRATOR:
On the conclusion
of "Ultimate Crash Test"...

CAITLAN:
That is so scary, isn't it?

LUKE:
Seeing it now, is really
putting it into perspective.

NARRATOR:
The team analyzes
the aftermath of the pileup.

BRIGHTON:
We've got the data,

we've got the footage, and we
know exactly what happened.

(beeping rapidly)

NARRATOR:
Which drivers would have
survived,

and which would not?

Oh, my goodness.
I know.

It's just shocking that

within seconds,
a solid thing turns into

a crushed piece of metal.

NARRATOR:
What difference
did the drivers' cars make

to their chances of survival?

How injured was
the person in it, then?

That's going
to be a severe head trauma,

there's no doubt.

NARRATOR:
Can the forensic investigators,

kept in
the dark about the events,

figure out what happened using
only the wreckage for clues?

SHELTON:
There's a contact from
the lower corner of the trailer

that's actually
gouged into the roadway.

NARRATOR:
And what lessons have
been learned

for the future?

BRIGHTON:
Creating a unique

experiment like this
opens a window

to what we might be missing,
and how can we now look at

improving the future design of
vehicles so that we all

drive around in a much
safer manner?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪