In most countries needs for mobility and road traffic are increasing. Meanwhile the construction of new roads is more difficult, and is restricted by economic and environmental aspects. Efficient traffic management and attractive drivers services are needed to optimise the use of existing networks and to increase the level of services on the different categories of roads. This leads to the need to equip road and telecommunication infrastructures, and to install control centres and permanent operating teams. Information and guidance devices, in-car communication systems, co-operative driving equipment are to be developed to assist drivers and enhance comfort. Investments and operating costs are growing, industrial and economic stakes are important, and are shared between public authorities, private manufacturers or operators, and drivers or end users. In order to encourage these developments, appropriate tools and methodologies are needed to assess correctly the performances of traffic operations and the impacts of services. These cost-benefit and market analyses should define the level of involvement of each actor and the co-operation between different partners when deploying ITS systems and services. As ITS applications are developing, evaluations of their impacts are needed. The PIARC Committee on Intelligent Transport made a first analysis of existing studies. Most of them proposed scenarios to evaluate impacts of ITS applications on safety, efficiency, and environment. In order to specify better telematic systems and services, proposals are made to introduce uncertainty and variability of travel conditions, and physical comfort or psychological stress. After validation these criteria could be used in the choice of ITS deployments.
Abstract