Wireless technology applications to enhance traveller safety

Wireless technologies, in particular the fusion of fixed and mobile networks, could help deliver a safe, sustainable and robust future transport system through better collection and processing of data, and its intelligent use in a fully connected environment. In the road transport sector connected environments are termed co-operative vehicle highway systems (CVHS). CVHS can deliver a range of safety applications, real-time management, optimisation, and intelligent network design. This study provides an overview of CVHS and a description of its contribution to transport safety applications, with reference to experiments from the EU-funded EMMA, TRACKSS and SAVE ME projects. EMMA developed co-operative sensing technologies in the engine, vehicle and roadside infrastructure, demonstrating an application giving priority to emergency vehicles, and showing how sensor technology can be used with EMMA middleware between fixed infrastructure and a fast moving vehicle (130 km/h (70 mph)). TRACKSS demonstrated the fusion of information from different sensor technologies to develop a robust system for road sign detection. The fused sensors detected a sign at 130 km/h (70 mph), sufficiently early to warn the driver. SAVE ME moves fusion of wireless sensor technologies to detect natural and man-made disaster events in public transport terminals, vehicles and critical infrastructure.