Feature
Risk and emergency management as a basis for road intelligent transportation systems (ITS) planning and operation
Authors
Enrique Belda Esplugues Vice Director for Security Information and Communication Systems, Home Office, Spain
Pedro Tomás Martínez Mobility Management Area Manager, General Directorate of Traffic, Home Office, Spain. Spanish-speaking Secretary of TC 1.5 on Risk Management
Ioannis Benekos Greece's representative of the World Road Association TC 1.5 on Risk Management
Illustrations © Dirección General de Tráfico
In modern and hyper-connected societies, adverse risky events have been found to generally also cause serious damage to road network and traffic, and consequently on local and global economies.
Transport system in Spain accounts for 16% of the GDP, and heavily depends on road, which accounts for 81.6%, and 43.2% modal share for freight and passengers respectively 1.
Accordingly, two key elements must be protected and managed properly to minimize disruptions in economy: road transport infrastructure; road transport operations.
The trustworthiness and sustainability of road systems rely on infrastructures, but also on highway capacity, travel-time reliability, road safety, freight transport security, and energy supply continuity.
According to the European Commission, ITS deployment has resulted in 20% travel time reductions, a rise of 5-10% in network capacity and 10-15% road accidents reduction. Therefore, road technology is to play a key role in ensuring sustainability and minimizing negative impacts.