ITS
19TRANSPORT BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL ISSUE 11 / www.transportbusiness.net
Public Accounts Committee report (2007)
suggests that there is increasing Vehicle
Excise Duty evasion through deliberately
misrepresented plates that undermine
the technology's effectiveness. DVLA
records are currently insufficiently accurate
to identify and prosecute all offenders;
a situation exacerbated by substantial
increases in foreign registered vehicles of all
types using the UK's roads. At the present
time, there are no effective enforcement
mechanisms for the drivers/operators of
these vehicles other than police officers
initiating interviews at the roadside.
THE RIGHT SKILLS
Not all drivers have intuitive or instinctive
motoring skills nor possess a ready
understanding, acceptance and adoption
of technological complexities that may
be demanded on rare occasions under
exceptional situations. Considerable studies
have been conducted into the `Human-
Machine Interface' to investigate and
avoid driver `information overload'. As a
consequence the introduction of any new
system that enhances any contribution to safer
journeys should be supported. However the
previously registered concerns and reservations
must acknowledge there is a limited human
interest, enthusiasm and intention to
maintain, upgrade and monitor `on-board'
equipment to its highest standard and
therefore compliance regimes are required.
The recent EU `PReVENT' project
exhibition showcased a range of intelligent
technologies to enhance journey safety and
security and capitalised on the cumulative
expertise and comprehensive capabilities
needed to help achieve the EU's 2010
casualty reduction targets. Generically these
technologies incorporated lane deviation,
vehicle proximity, collision avoidance and
ADAS, and in certain instances these systems
were sufficiently `intelligent' to prioritise
and provoke the vehicle to respond to the
most significant threat. As its title suggests
the PReVENT technologies anticipate road
conditions and circumstances as well as
monitoring driver actions and reactions
and advise on impending incidents. In
critical situations, the systems can `assume
vehicle control' and take avoiding and/
or mitigating action. `Assuming vehicle
control' at certain critical times presents
an interesting proposition as this could
enable a driver to offer a legitimate defence
in any court proceedings by arguing that
control was `wrested' from him/her thereby
preventing a wholly different and deliberate
reaction. Furthermore, there are concerns
that sophisticated technologies may further
insulate drivers from the `driving experience'
and compound driver inattention `behind
the wheel' through increased distraction
from a variety of `infotainment' devices.
Current indemnities may prove inadequate,
especially where a particular technology
assumes a `guardian angel' role, such as the
one that a particular PReVENT technology
proposes. A balance has to be struck
between the roles and responsibilities of
vehicle manufacturing/OEM industry and
what government agencies can achieve. For
example is it reasonable to legislate which
safety equipment should be fitted as standard
equipment to new vehicles, or should it solely
be left to market forces? In terms of the safety
of commercial vehicle transport, there are
technological measures that can ensure road
user safety such as a further roll-out of WASP/
VIPER `weigh-in-motion' systems, enforcement
of driving and resting times using digital
tachograph systems, and ensuring that
`haulier offences' that are committed in one
Member State can be taken into account in
the `home' country when issuing, renewing
or revoking operator licenses, etc. The
latter is currently being examined in a new
EU-funded project called TUNER. Such
measures would reduce the numbers of
unqualified drivers and disreputable operators
on the road and would have a marked
impact on the numbers of unroadworthy
vehicles on the UK's road network.
TECHNOLOGY RECENTMENT
Enforcement is traditionally unpopular
and technologies that aim to impose
driver moderation through `spot camera'
enforcement at specific locations are
particularly resented. However, the siting of
those fixed and mobile cameras has been
based purely upon a proven excess speed
history associated with fatal or serious injury
casualty statistics. This data renders those
locations as prime locations for enforcement
and as permanent staffing of those locations
is not sustainable remote technological
interventions have been introduced to
considerable effect to reduce collisions and
injuries. In conclusion compliance through
enforcement has traditionally fallen within
the police service's remit however the
sheer scale of road usage means that the
requirement to detect the vast majority of
offences must fall upon the use of modern
electronic technologies that are inherently
more efficient than previous methods
of road traffic offence enforcement.
ITS (UK) has taken a specific interest in this
subject in recent years and is celebrating
its 10th Annual Enforcement Conference
in October this year. In addition ITS (UK) is
currently organising the first of a series of
interactive workshops with enforcement
as the theme for the inaugural session. ITS
(UK) considers itself ideally placed to provide
independent expert advice into the effectiveness
of ITS technologies for enforcement.
This article is an abridged extract of a
detailed briefing note that highlights existing
road safety problems and dilemmas whilst
proposing current and future technological
solutions that may assist. The title is `Traffic
Law Enforcement Technology in the UK'
- A short guide to current practice, policy
options, and related approaches to using
enforcement technology in the UK -
February 2009. Anyone interested in
reading the full document request should
contact mailbox@its-uk.org.uk.

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