Discussion on intelligent transport launched in Australia

Date: 19/11/2012

Australia's (NTC) National Transport Commission has released a discussion paper about the regulatory implications of technology which allows vehicles and road infrastructure to 'talk' to each other.

The technology itself, which is known as (C-ITS) Cooperative Intelligent Transport System, is being developed in the United States and Europe.

Several car manufacturers are trialling the systems alongside governments in order to allow motorists to plan and adapt their journeys due to a number of issues.

These include congestion, accidents and roadworks, which may present themselves as obstacles as the driver tries to travel to their destination.

The technology works with a series of warning systems which can be activated to alert motorists to potential hazards.

These include changes to traffic conditions, the position of other road users or a train nearing a railway crossing.

By introducing such a system in Australia as many as 300 lives could be saved every year, according to Nick Dimopoulos, Chief Executive of the NTC.

He said: "With road trauma in Australia currently accounting for 1,300 deaths each year, this technology has the potential to provide a leap forward in road safety."

Mr Dimopoulos went on to say that in order for Australia to harness the full benefits then the implications of C-ITS technology should be considered in advance.

With this in mind the Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems Regulatory Policy Issues Discussion Paper has been put together to forward the debate on the issues.

The main areas that it covers are privacy, liability, driver distraction and compliance and enforcement.

With so much data being collected by C-ITS systems it is important that any implementation of the technology does not contravene Australian privacy laws.

Drivers, manufacturers, insurers and road managers could all be implicated should a crash involving a C-ITS vehicle occur and therefore liability must be established.

Rules already exist to ensure that technology does not act as a distraction inside a car and C-ITS must adhere to such regulations.

Drivers will want peace of mind in relation to compliance and enforcement in case C-ITS technology is used for such purposes.

Mr Dimopoulos said: "We are keen to hear from all Australians as the introduction of C-ITS has the potential to impact upon everybody."

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News