Talking with cars-traffic messaging

Fleet management, traffic control and vehicle navigation are being revolutionised by developments in road transport informatics. One of the unsung heroes supporting the new technologies is traffic messaging, which is the exchange of traffic-related digital coded information between traffic control centres, traffic information publishers and broadcasters, and the vehicles and drivers. The author discusses the application areas of traffic messaging and then describes the mobile radio and satellite communications technology which makes traffic messaging possible. The author then describes the European Community, DRIVE programme before addressing some of the obstacles to be overcome if traffic messaging is to become more widespread.<>