Overview
Traffic in Europe is increasing permanently and accident rates are still on a high level. For achieving the urgent required higher safety levels and to improve traffic flows on motorways a new integrated and efficient approach must be designed in an open architecture - to avoid mainly the severe accidents.
- Automated methods are effective; current solutions are outdated; the adoption of automated methods is slow
- Enforcement needs commitment and dedication; innovation is needed
- Surveys of needs reveal that more technological help is needed and more simplified methods must be found for catching and treating the violators
The core objective of the project FAIR (Fully Automatic Integrated Road control) was “A pragmatic approach preparing practical and operative solutions to achieve in short term
- increased traffic safety along with
- increased traffic efficiency and road protection and
- better Overall Efficiency and Economy by fully automatic and multi-purpose enforcement systems”
It has concentrated on:
- A pragmatic approach for planning and future realisation of practical and operative solutions, in order to achieve impressive accident reductions and higher safety in short term.
- Higher safety will be accompanied with smoother traffic flows and more cooperative driver behaviour additionally avoiding dangerous situations.
- Design and evaluation of best practice concepts in supervision, violation detection, registration and reporting for a central data base
- Benefits and safety improvement of future automated concepts of road infrastructure
- Concepts preparing pilot installation for selected enforcement technologies
- Analysis of integration aspects and synergy within the future pilot tests
- Concepts for "Best total solution, best practice and efficient application"
The concept for achieving the best total solution for fully automatic road control and enforcement combines the key areas of necessary safety improvements, creates an open architecture for integrated multipurpose enforcement and evaluates the enforcement measures for fixed and mobile enforcement. This is followed by the preparation of two future trials and test sites for integrated enforcement systems.
- The best total solution for future enforcement system (including lane wise and vehicle specific multi lane free flow automated enforcement)
- A cost benefit analysis and economic value
- The planning of two trials and test site
- An international safety / Enforcement workshop
Funding
Results
The FAIR project analysed the potential of safety technologies preparing innovative and efficient traffic supervision and control systems and infrastructure protection for a higher overall economy as “Best total solution”.
Policy implications
FAIR provided a clear concept/picture to achieve higher safety, traffic efficiency and road infrastructure protection improvements. Thus by using technology enabling a wider and innovative “Pan-European Regulation” to overcome the discrepant and diverging national approaches in enforcement. Here a major political initiative is required.