DRIVE project V1051-procedure for safety submissions for road transport informatics

This paper discusses the on-going movement towards common standards and harmonisation in the application of information technology to European road transport systems, particularly the work of Project V1051, Procedure for Safety Submissions for Road Transport Informatics, in the DRIVE programme. The programme exists because it is expected that the widespread use of computer systems to vehicles and in traffic management systems will provide the mechanism on which to base a viable solution to current and foreseeable problems. A major assumption that has influenced the direction of DRIVE is the idea that whereas there appears to be unlimited demand to use the road networks, there is a limit to the number of new roads that can be built. The resolution of this dichotomy is seen in the proposed provision of effective information systems, navigation systems and dynamic traffic management systems. Within these three areas the following ideas are being seriously considered; the use of artificial intelligence and expert systems, automatic or semi-automatic vehicle control systems, lane and positioning control and collision avoidance systems, and road usage and access control