Examples of applications
In-car applications: autonomous safety intervention systems
Included among the in-car systems that are being provided by various manufacturers are the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), the Traction Control System (TCS) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Also more or less included among telematics applications affecting the vehicle=s behaviour is the automatic regulation of shock absorbing properties.
In-car applications: systems that support the driver
Many different cruise control variations are being developed; ACC (Advanced Cruise Control) is already available. Collision avoidance systems and longitudinal vehicle guidance systems are under development with introduction expected within the next five years. The expenses associated with these accessories will probably limit their use to business traffic initially. Most of these systems, however, are being developed for highway conditions, and the effects of using them when driving under other conditions is cause for concern. Thought to be another significant application is vision enhancement: electronics that will guarantee the reception of accurate visual information even under conditions of limited sight. A class of systems is also being developed to monitor the driver=s condition (health, intoxication) and interfere if the driver is unable for one reason or another to participate in traffic (one example of these systems being the alcohol lock). These systems, too, are expected to become available very soon or within the next few years.
Another category of in-car applications to support the driver are those involving route guidance. Some of these, such as Travel Pilot, CARIN and ones developed by Japanese manufacturers, are already on the market. For now, these devices are limited to providing advice based on statistical information; within the next ten years, however, it is expected that we will have systems basing their advice on information obtained from traffic management systems.
The now widespread use of car telephones has long been the centre of a safety dispute. This dispute will also undoubtedly apply to upcoming developments such as the Office on Wheels with its access to the Internet, e-mail and e-finance.
Finally, another possible in-car accessory is the emergency button (that would operate either automatically or not) that could localize the scene of the accident and summon emergency services.
In-car applications for business traffic
One of these existing applications is the fleet management system by which a transport company can have constant connections with all of its units on the road. Problem situations can then be recognized and remedied quickly; optimizing logistics is one of this application=s main objectives.
Traffic management applications
Using external information systems that can also operate by means of a connection to in-car pieces of equipment makes possible several developments in traffic management. We already have many car radios equipped with RDS-TMC (Radio Data System-Traffic Management Channel) that can receive up-to-date traffic information while on the road. As mentioned previously, route guidance devices can also be introduced later. We should also be seeing the continuing development of the existing traffic management system (the Direction System) with direction signs, Variable Message Signs (e.g. DRIPS, or dynamic route information panels), and access ramp control systems that are already more or less successful telematics applications. The positive effects of these developments on road safety and traffic flow have been demonstrated in a number of research projects.
ISA (Intelligent Speed Adapter), a development already being tested in Sweden and the Netherlands, is expected to yield much in the way of benefits for traffic safety. The reason expectations are so high is that the advantages associated with ISA should not be simply limited to the main road network but should also apply to the unsafe lower order road network. As long as ISA is not being applied on a large scale, effective police supervision will remain a necessity. For the police, however, new speed monitoring systems are being introduced that do not rely on spot measurement (with radar equipment and cameras) but are based on determining the car=s average speed as it travels along a certain length of road.
Also being developed are Incident Management Systems that should speed up reaction times to accidents. The introduction of these on a large scale can be expected within the next few years.
The use of electronic toll collection systems should also be mentioned as an almost existing system. What kind of effects (positive or negative) this system will have on road safety is as yet unclear. The possibility of obtaining information before stepping into the car (by use of Teletext or the Internet) should also be included in this category.
Within the field of urban traffic management, applications such as parking information and vehicle guidance systems have already been developed, and information systems for making connections with public transport and systems for making seat reservations while travelling in one=s car are being developed.