Security Benefits

A European project is working on methods of mining the data gathered by ITS installations to measure levels of road usage and so be able to predict more accurately when maintenance is likely to be needed. The approach could also allow consideration of more environmentally-friendly options in road maintenance programmes, for example to give priority to noise reduction.

For monitoring individual ITS installations in operation, the concept of an ‘online filing cabinet’ for storing information can help road maintenance engineers progressively improve overall performance rather than simply reacting to faults being notified. There is even the prospect of locating wireless sensors into road surfaces, to gather and relay information on condition and maintenance needs.

In the event of an incident or spill of hazardous materials (HazMat) the emergency services personnel need timely and accurate information about the vehicle location and nature and contents of consignments, so they can respond appropriately and maintain safety for the public and other road users (See Safety Information Exchange).

In the USA freight carriers move an estimated 700,000 shipments of hazardous materials every day. Electronic access to carriers’ databases for early identification of the vehicle and cargo enables responders to:

• save community resources by reducing routine HazMat team response times, unnecessary evacuations, and unjustified highway closures
• minimise resources expended in typically assuming a worst-case scenario and committing unnecessary levels of equipment and personnel
• minimise environmental and public health impacts by restricting the quantity of hazardous material that escapes, reducing the area affected and the extent of clean-up needed, and initiating mitigation measures more quickly

Natural disasters play havoc with the transportation infrastructure which is, at the same time, vital to keep operating as well as possible as a means of rescue and evacuation and bringing in supplies and equipment (See Emergency Response).

In humanitarian relief supply chains, ITS plays a key role in the last 1km-2km delivery from a local distribution centre (LDC) to affected populations. Computerised management of available vehicles and planning of delivery schedules can optimise resource allocation and routing decisions with the aim of minimising transportation costs and maximising benefits for those in need. This can be particularly important for disasters in developing countries with inadequate road networks.

Existing traffic management systems can play vital supporting roles. Bluetooth-based traffic monitoring proved effective when a factory in Texas caught fire and later exploded. Residents needed immediate evacuation, with school buses and ambulances coming in to rescue them and needing priority access.

Terrorist attacks – and the threat of them – are now facts of life in many parts of the world. Transport infrastructure is a natural target because of the large numbers of potential victims and the effects of the resulting disruption on much larger numbers of people and on regional and local economies.

Particularly vulnerable are large numbers of passengers moving through confined spaces, for example, transport termini and interchanges – and metro stations. Passenger evacuation systems depend for their effectiveness on the amount and quality of information made available. Simulations can model individual passenger movements to provide for the needs of the elderly and disabled, and integrate planned lifts and escalators for the capacity calculations needed to estimate realistic evacuation times.

Prevention of terrorist acts can be strengthened by systems for the early detection of would-be perpetrators. Analysis of CCTV footage of rail and bus stations can detect people making unusual movements.