Clearing the road for ISA implementation? : applying adaptive policymaking for the implementation of intelligent speed adaptation. Proefschrift Technische Universiteit Delft TUD.

Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) is an in-vehicle system that supports the driver of a vehicle in complying with the local speed limit (In other words, that helps the driver to comply with the legal speed limit, or make sure the driver cannot drive faster than the speed limit). There is strong evidence that ISA has a great potential when it comes to contributing to traffic safety. However, ISA implementation is being delayed because of many uncertainties. Despite the large potential (it is estimated that a restricting ISA could save up to 200 lives per year in the Netherlands), ISA systems are not implemented yet. This dissertation focuses on the application of a conceptual approach called Adaptive Policy making (APM). APM is designed to develop policies that can be adapted over time, adaptive policies change as the external conditions change. In this dissertation the applicability of APM for ISA implementation in the Netherlands is researched, by operationalizing, applying, and evaluating the APM approach (for the case of ISA). The results show that ISA is ready to be implemented. Policymakers can deal with the uncertainties that still exist by starting to implement ISA on a small scale, and, as time proceeds, gradually adapt the ISA implementation policy to changing conditions. APM is an approach that could support that process. The results also show that designing adaptive ISA implementation policies with APM increases the chance that the policy will be a success, and reaches the predefined goals. (In case of ISA these goals would be: a reduction in the number of accidents, reduction of fatalities due to road accidents, etc.) Despite this experts also indicate that the developed adaptive ISA implementation policy will cause difficulties in the decision making process, and probably results in the fact that decision makers cannot take a decision at all. (It is indicated that making the uncertainties that surround ISA implementation explicit will be counter-productive for the decision making process). (Author/publisher)