Information provision on traffic circumstances to the road users is a complex process. First, target groups are plenty. Authorities and service providers want give them different types of information. Also, they have different information needs and they also want to get different types of information and use different information sources. Second, the information can be given in multiple ways from newspapers to personal devices. Third, the information is given by authorities, private companies, organizations and associations. Due to the complexity, effective development of information services needs to be coordinated. In Finland, authorities agreed on their roles in national traveller information in 1995. According to this agreement the police, the road administration, and Finnish broadcasting company have the active roles. Police and the road administration are responsible for collecting information as fast as possible on all incidents that affect traffic by endangering traffic safety, or creating delays or other inconveniences. Information should be delivered to traffic management centre where the information from different sources is combined and transmitted to YLE and possibly also to other media for further dissemination. However, the incident information process does not work as well as it could. Today the drivers are informed on most of the long-lasting incidents and on the incidents that cause road closures. The short-lasting incidents are seldom informed. However, even if the long-lasting ones are informed about extensively they are seldom informed about fast enough. Since winter 1997-1998 the road users in Finland have been given information on the forecasted driving conditions on the main roads. The aim of the road weather service has been to help drivers to prepare for delays and difficult driving conditions caused by the weather, specifically on days when conditions are most dangerous. The forecast is based on current weather and road conditions, maintenance, and weather forecasts. It is produced in cooperation with private maintenance contractors, road administration and a meteorological institute. The forecasts are given on national TV and radio channels as part of normal weather forecasts, but are also provided on the Internet. Interviews have indicated that getting information on the following day's weather is important. Above mentioned services are good example of services that are produced in cooperation with multiple public authorities, and in which the information is provided to every user in the same form. Today, by private companies, also time- and place-dependent real-time road weather condition and incident information services are being developed. Earlier studies have shown coordination needs of different organizations, both between the organizations as well as inside big organizations. In addition to cooperation, specific roles should be defined for them. Exchange of data and know-how between organizations should be increased. More effective use of different media would help to reach that goal. Some organizations have already effective mechanisms but they could be exploited better. The more intensive coordination would be important especially in big cities. More active cooperation between municipalities, police and road authorities could improve particularly traffic safety. The need for cooperation increases with the implementation of new technologies. New systems should be able to communicate with each other. Currently, the road administration is one of the main actors in the field of road traffic services. It monitors the road network, informs road users about the driving conditions, and provides data to other service providers, both to public and private ones. It also wants to better its current services and to specify its role. One of the main reasons for this study was the road administration's need to direct future R&D funding in the most effective way. The purpose of the study was to create a research and development plan for information activities in road traffic until years 2007 and 2010. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting