The multidimensional development of modern cities and the intense use of various mechanical means of transportation in everyday life, have turned daily trips into an adventure for the road user, with negative impacts on the fields of the users' safety, emotional stability and welfare. Advanced technologies are often blamed for several negative impacts on people's lives. The hope, however, especially in the Transportation Sector, lies in the reasonable and intelligent use of advanced technologies, in the fields where they can provide benefits and make the life of the citizen—user of the transportation system - whom the society seems to be neglecting- easier. Towards the direction of improving the standard of living of the drivers, significant contribution can be offered by a group of new technologies being developed by scientists around the world, generally known with the term "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems". In an era in which cities and vehicles are not designed with servicing the user as their primary objective, but based on several other questionable criteria, the developments in this area should be welcomed as a source of hope. Clearly, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems incorporate promising technologies for the best service of the road users. It is critical for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems to be designed based on what the users consider that helps and better services them, and not on what the developers of these systems think better services the users. Although the actual implementation time of these systems depends on several factors, the benefits that these systems will ultimately incur in the improvement of road safety, the environment and the traffic conditions are certain and their magnitude is such, that we should all offer our support. This publication contains the papers presented at the workshop `Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and their impact on road safety and traffic efficiency', held in Athens, NTUA Ceremonies' Auditorium, Management Building Zografou Campus, on 18 October 2000. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting