A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON ROAD SAFETY ANDTECHNOLOGY

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) represents the 30 wealthiest countries in the world. OECD maintains a Transport Research Program to examine issues that are of interest to the member countries. In 2000, they formed a an expert Group to examine road safety and technology. The expert group was composed of 37 members representing 20 Countries, 2 Automobile Manufacturers, and the European Council of Ministers of Transport. The members had a variety of backgrounds including Engineers (automotive, civil & electrical), Psychologists/Human Factors Experts, and ITS and Safety Specialists. Road crashes exact a tremendous human and societal toll in OECD member countries. Each year, more than 125,000 people are killed in these crashes and millions more injured, many of them permanently. The cost of the road safety problem in the OECD amounts to 2 percent or more of gross domestic product (GDP). Clearly, this problem deserves and receives attention in the Member countries. Recently, much attention has been paid to the development of intelligent transport systems (ITS) that can improve the safety and efficiency of road transport while improving user comfort and convenience. All OECD member countries have been involved in developing or deploying these technologies to some extent. As this process has moved forward, a great deal of information has been developed concerning the benefits that can be realised over time with the full deployment of ITS. Among other things, safety benefits have been measured or estimated for a wide variety of technologies. This paper summarises the current international perspective concerning the ability of ITS to address the road safety situation in the member countries as captured in the final report of the expert group. In addition to ITS technologies that improve road safety, considerable development has also gone into advanced traveller information systems and convenience and entertainment systems. The global market for in-vehicle devices will exceed USD 40 billion by 2010. These technologies can have a considerable impact on road safety and are outlined in this paper.