Overview

ITS technologies have important safety applications in the following areas:

Emergency Management
Emergency management systems coordinate responses to incidents, whether these are traffic accidents, incidents involving hazardous materials or threats to personal security.

Emergency Notification Systems, sometimes referred to as "mayday" or "collision notification" systems, have been developed to reduce the time between when the crash occurs and when medical services are provided. By improving information transfer between the trauma care physician and emergency medical service personnel they result in faster, more appropriate care, thus saving lives and reducing disabilities resulting from crashes.

Personal security systems are designed to provide assistance in cases other than when there has been a crash. A number of services may be provided: A hidden panic button that sends a silent call for help to 911 with the exact location provided by the GPS system; voice communication so that the driver can ask for roadside assistance or the location of the closest gas station or mechanic; if a car is stolen, the GPS can provide the location of the automobile to the police and remote control of the automobile's engine and electrical operating systems allows the automobile to be unlocked remotely if the keys are locked in the automobile, the horn to be honked if the driver forgets where the car is parked, or the engine to be shut off is the car is stolen.

The primary objective of emergency vehicle management systems is to reduce the time it takes emergency vehicles to respond to an incident after its detection.

Freight Operations

Automated Roadside Safety Inspection
This provides real-time access to safety performance records, thus increasing the accuracy and decreasing the time required for roadside inspections. Some aspects of the manual inspection process may be automated through the use of sensors and diagnostics. Such projects have been undertaken by the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, the Johns Hopkins University, and the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation, all in cooperation with the FHWA.

Hazardous Materials Incident Response
The Federal Railroad Administration, the FHWA, the Pennsylvania DOT, and other organizations have been developing systems to provide rapid and accurate information on cargo following accidents or spills.

On-Board Safety Monitoring
NHTSA and the FHWA have worked with state agencies and industry groups on various projects to use advanced technology on-board commercial vehicles to test brakes, monitor driver fitness, and provide advice to drivers on safe speeds prior to downgrades.

Other Areas

Red Light Monitoring
See our Telecommunications Diagram on Red Light Monitoring for more information.

Highway-Rail Intersection

ITS technologies hold promise for improving information, communication, and control at highway-rail crossings and may be deployed to improve levels of safety unattainable with conventional approaches. ITS technologies offer options for more powerful tracking and communication of the status of trains throughout a rail network. Advanced Train Control Systems (ATCS) involve the application of computers, digital data communication, and other advanced technologies to the management and control of the railroad, locomotives, maintenance and inspection efforts, and elements of the railroad infrastructure. ATCS implementation promises improvement in operational efficiency, employee and public safety, and customer service. Also, technologies as familiar as loop detectors or as new and rapidly developing as video detection and Doppler radar are being used or considered for use for monitoring crossings.

In-Vehicle Safety
Advanced sensing, communications, and computing promise to allow vehicles to avoid collisions, and to prevent or deal with injuries when a crash does occur. Some technologies are already in use: adaptive cruise control, anti-lock brakes, in-vehicle navigation and mayday systems. The California Department of Transportation is testing the use of magnets in the road to guide snowplow operators when visibility is poor. Collision avoidance systems for trucks have been developed and marketed in Japan and the US. Auto makers are offering systems in their luxury cars that track the car and call for assistance in the case of a crash such as the GM OnSta systemr.

Public Travel Security
The risk of being involved in a crime incident is at least twice as great in a transit system as in a private vehicle. The most frequent crimes that occur in transit stations, at transit stops, or on board transit vehicles are disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, graffiti/vandalism, vagrancy, objects thrown at transit vehicles, fare evasion, theft, and simple assault and battery.Technologies used for transit security include:

• Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV)
• Call boxes/Emergency Phones Alarms
• Automated Ticketing Systems
• Automated Vehicle Location System