This paper describes a tracking system for hazardous goods that is currently studied in Austria using an electronic on-board unit (OBU) which communicates with the roadside in critical locations, e.g. tunnel portals. The good's data are written to a contactless smart card and the smart card is inserted in the electronic OBU. Tunnel operators receive information about presence, location and type of good for every ventilation section. A study is currently going on in a major inner-city tunnel in Austria to test the advantages of automatic tracking of hazardous goods inside tunnels. The current procedure requires trucks with hazardous loads to stop at tunnel entrances and wait for an accompanying vehicle. The type of good, container, planned route, the potential risks and the allowed treatments in case of accidents and fires must be registered manually with the authority. It goes without saying that the process is time consuming and unpopular among freight forwarders. In addition, it keeps vehicles on the street for a long time and is therefore a safety risk component on its own. The study is likely to lead to a project that will be carried out for domestic vehicles.
Abstract