Elderly drivers have a high accident rate per kilometer driven, though not per person per year, and elderly pedestrians and transit users also have above average accident rates. The potential of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to enhance vehicle safety for elderly and less able travellers is examined. For car drivers, Advanced Vehicle Control and Safety Systems (AVCSS) and Advanced Transportation Information Systems (ATIS) should make driving easier, less stressful and safer. Transit users should be helped by better information before and during travel and by smart cards. Pedestrians with visual impairments can be helped by hand-held guidance equipment and by talking signposts; road-crossing facilities can be improved to benefit everybody.
Abstract