Overview
Messages on current traffic incidents and dangerous accident sites are generated on the basis of new data sources. The sources include anonymized mobile phone data and so-called User Generated Content, which is obtained through social media and other platforms. The available information is merged within an evaluation system and checked against compliance. Relevant messages are forwarded to traffic infrastructure operators. According to the available resources innovative solutions are developed to ensure the mobility and reduce the negative impacts of transport.
The focus of this project is the support of traffic infrastructure operators and traffic management centres in the provision of information for traffic participants about current traffic incidents and dangerous accident sites. For this purpose, cost-effective data sources are identified, taking care that comprehensive statements on the traffic conditions are possible. This approach has advantages over currently existing systems, since they focus mainly on major routes. In addition, it is increasingly refrained against the expansion of classical location-based data acquisition (e.g. traffic detectors) from an international point of view. Possible data sources that are eligible and will be extensively available in the medium term, mainly include passive traffic data (generated using analysis of anonymized mobile data and in-car systems), semi-structured data (obtained via crowdsourcing) and User Generated Content (obtained by contributions from users of social media). The selection of appropriate sources is based on the existing experience and activities of the project partners, previous projects and by means of the Internet and literature.
In the context of the analysis, additional statements about the density and quality of possible messages can be made. Another project goal is the merger resp. the balance of the information obtained, the validation and verification of the message content of the individual input systems and resources with each other or with the help of already available reference data (e.g. mobile data). This analysis is intended to serve as an aid in assessing the added value attainable. In addition to the assessment of new data sources, a method is developed to detect traffic states automatically based on mobile data. The method is developed based on historical mobile data that is available to the project consortium at no additional cost. Identified historical traffic delays are tested for correlation with traffic reports for the same period.
The application of the methodology to be developed would be designed for the real time online operation. Based on the identifiable traffic information, concepts as well as the evaluation system are developed to define how the different sources can be continuously evaluated and validated in future operating resp. how information for transport infrastructure operators can be obtained from it. The concept implementation results from a merger with the already developed DVS System (Dynamic Traffic Safety System).