Highways Agency active traffic management: initial driver reactions to its implementation on the M42.

The Active Traffic Management (ATM) system involving variable speed limits (VSL) being piloted on the M42, UK aims to tackle congestion, providing safer travel, better information and smarter roads. This paper outlines some preliminary results of a study that has focused on the initial driver reaction to ATM to provide the Agency with early feedback from their customers using the ATM system. The findings from the survey have also served to highlight issues worthy of investigation and/or attention by the Highways Agency. The most important of these is the need to monitor, and where possible to mitigate, the increase in respondents who felt driving was morestressful for trips made immediately following the launch of a new operational regime. This can be achieved by educating drivers with evidence gained by these surveys regarding experience of the introduction of 3-lane VSLon the M42. For the covering abstract see ITRD E134653.