UK Highways Agency Examines Automated Highway Systems for the Long Term
IVsource.net
31 March 2001

The UK Highways Agency is looking long term to define a transportation vision -- and automated highways may play strongly into this scenario.  A workshop to present and discuss their early research was recently held in London; highlights are provided here.

Last year, the United Kingdom's Highways Agency (HA), part of the Department of Transport and the Regions, initiated a study to examine user attitudes regarding automated highway systems (AHS).

During 5-6 February, 2001, a workshop was held in London to present results of the study, hear expert opinions, and examine how automated highways might play out for British roads and drivers.  The motivation certainly exists in the UK to improve congestion, which is a major problem in all urban areas around Britain, in large part because space does not exist to expand highways much further.

The ongoing research is being sponsored by the Highways Agency’s Traffic Signals and Signing Division (TSS).  Ian Fraser of TSS manages the AHS-oriented activity, with the consultancy Transport and Travel Research, Ltd. (TTR) conducting the work.

The Workshop

The "User Attitudes to AHS" workshop was attended by about forty invited guests from the UK government, European Commission, the domestic auto industry, academia, and abroad.    Opening remarks were provided by Mr. Richard Eastman, Director of TSS.  Dr. Laurie Pickup of TTR then provided the results and conclusions from their user attitudes work (see below), followed by commentary by Professor Mike McDonald, Director of the Transportation Research Group at the University of Southhampton to complete the first morning's session.

The afternoon session provided a broad range of international perspectives by Richard Bishop of RBC;  Masafumi Mori of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport; and Edwin Bastiaensen of the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.  Further background was then offered in the areas of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (Dr. Oliver Carsten of ITS Leeds), Automobile Association issues (Andrew Howard of the Motoring Policy Unit), and Intelligent Cruise Control (Ian Blake of Jaguar Cars).

Day Two consisted of a strategy workshop via breakout sessions that focused on in-vehicle information systems, driver assistance systems, and fully automated highways.  Small group feedback and roundtable discussions finished up the event, which will be documented in a report by TTR.

User Attitudes

The aim of TTR's work has been "to investigate the attitudes and likely travel behavior of road users in a future world of automated highway systems," according to their presentation.  Their objectives were to understand levels of social acceptance of AHS, identify the underlying reasons why people may accept or resist AHS system developments, and to determine the interests of different user groups towards AHS.

The 12-month study comprised an international review, qualitative research, and structured surveys of over 600 people regarding driver information systems, driver assistance systems, and full driving control systems.  Most of the participants in the survey felt that congestion was the number one roadway problem, followed by safety.

Driver information surveys addressed the types of information that might be provided to AHS users, and how it might be presented (e.g., voice, visual, etc.).  Driver assistance systems treated in the surveys were speed control systems, gap management, and driver impairment countermeasures.

There was strongest support for driver impairment countermeasures, and many respondents felt that such systems should be compulsory for commercial drivers.  For automated highways, the majority said they would accept and use such a system in the future, with the ability to avoid traffic jams being the most favored benefit.  When concerns were probed, system reliability and cost came up strongly.  As is typical for such studies, attitudes varied with age, gender, travel profiles, and other factors.

Workshop Sessions

The small group breakout sessions provided an opportunity for participants to voice and understand one another's opinions about these various levels of driver assistance systems.  As this examination of AHS is the first foray into this arena for the HA -- and many participants were attending their first workshop on the subject -- discussions tended to revolve primarily around high level system issues.  A variety of key issues were identified at both the technical and societal level.

Work in this area is expected to continue after the workshop results area assimilated.

[Top]

For More Information ...

... from the Highways Agency, on user studies contact Ian Chalmers at ian.chalmers@highways.gsi.gov.uk ; on technology-related inquiries, contact Ian Fraser at ian.fraser@highways.gsi.gov.uk.

Other contacts:

Dr. John Miles of Ankerbold International, Ltd at jcm@ankerbold.co.uk;

Dr. Laurie Pickup of TTR at ttr_oxford@compuserve.com.

[Top]