Overview
During the last three years a project called Intelligent Speed Adaption (ISA) has been running with the goal of informing the driver of the current speed limit on the roads of certain areas in Sweden. The ISA-system also warns the driver when exceeding the speed limit by a sound signal or vibrations in the accelerator. This R&D project by Columna is a part within the framework (VITSA) for the application of Stiftelsen Teknikdalen to prolong the ISA project. It is named ITR and aims to produce an intelligent aid to vehicles/drivers regarding adaptation to prevailing traffic regulations. ISA has set its scope to the task of informing the driver of a vehicle about current speed limitations. ITR evolves around the same generic technique to inform about other types of traffic regulations, such as the following:
The observance of the traffic regulations involves particular influence to traffic safety:
- Obligation to stop
- Obligation to yield
- Pedestrian street
- Turning ban/decree
- Banned driving direction
- Motor vehicles prohibited
- Primary road/Motorway/Arterial road
- Overtaking prohibited
- Restricted length, width.
Information along the same lines as the above could potentially inform the driver at an appropriate time and with an appropriate approach. In this way many hazardous situations can be avoided where the driver, due to lack of attention, neglects to stop or to travel in a cautious manner or even in the wrong direction.
The observance of the following traffic regulations affects the environment:
- Restrictions regarding hazardous goods;
- Restricted regarding idling motor.
The observance of the following traffic regulations has several different effects. These regulations will, until further notice, be classified as public information:
- Stopping or parking restriction;
- Permission to park certain hours with certain vehicles etc.
- Information concerning road name and number;
- Weight limits.
The goal of the project is to inform the driver of the current speed limit on the roads of certain areas in Sweden. The ISA-system also warns the driver when exceeding the speed limit by a sound signal or vibrations in the accelerator.
The ITR-project aims to deploy and run the functionality described above on a large-scale basis in Borlänge, and also in a few following test localities. Currently, the concept is tested in a few selected vehicles, in order to obtain generic and important experiences to draw conclusions from and to base decisions upon. This is essential in order to be properly prepared for the pending large-scale deployment later on.
Funding
Results
Some effects from ITR are evident and others are harder to evaluate. The vehicle tests are going to result in a better basis for evaluation of the effects. The following effects can be expected with better informed drivers:
- A well informed driver is a safer driver;
- Comfort;
- Fewer errors because of inattentiveness;
- Traffic in the right places;
- Feasibility;
- Traffic-safety;
- Environment;
- Construction costs.
Policy implications
The difficulty in the above (as well as with speed handled in ISA) is how to gather the information. However, one of the tasks in the NVDB-project (The National Road Data Base project) is to gather certain local traffic regulations via municipal and county administrations. This indicates a goal, within a number of years, to have a national road database containing several different types of traffic regulations. Thus could this information be used on a large-scale basis in appropriate vehicle equipment in order to present a complete and intelligent aid in adjusting to different traffic regulations.
By integrating the ISA-function in a general traffic regulation function, the tool becomes more attractive. One moment the driver is made aware of that a certain speed limit applies and in another moment information is given about that he or she is approaching a stop sign. At yet another moment the driver is informed about a restricted parking area and furthermore that parking is allowed within certain hours. The ISA-principle as a whole would thus likely profit from having more information presented in the same equipment.