This chapter shows how the European automobile industry's research programme PROMETHEUS is contributing to European traffic safety. PROMETHEUS was launched in 1986. With its partners, it is mainly concerned with safer, cleaner, more efficient road transport. Its researches complement traditional research on vehicles with research on transportation and traffic. It concentrates on the issues of traffic and transport management, harmonised traffic flow, and safe driving. It predicts that modern information technology (IT) will enable real-time data exchange and real-time control to be introduced as new road traffic functions, and help integrate vehicle and traffic control. The traffic and transport management programme addresses selection of transport mode, route and travel time. The programme investigates: (1) travel information services; (2) commercial fleet management; and (3) dual-mode route guidance. The harmonised traffic flow programme addresses traffic management centres and cooperation between road users. This investigates: (1) cooperative driving; (2) autonomous intelligent cruise control; and (3) emergency systems. The safe driving programme is concerned with maintenance of drivers' control over vehicles. This investigates: (1) vision enhancement; (2) proper vehicle operation; and (3) driving with reduced collision risk. PROMETHEUS develops both autonomous and infrastructure-based systems, to be implemented by 1997. Open system architecture is used.
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