Drive C2X ‘proves Europe is ready for cooperative systems roll-out’

The DRIVE C2X provides a comprehensive, Europe-wide assessment of cooperative systems through field operational tests, and is to present its results on 16 and 17 July in Berlin. The test results are the last step in the preparation for the roll-out of cooperative systems in Europe. During the three and a half years of the project, more than 750 drivers tested eight safety-related functions of cooperative functions all over Europe. The operational tests took place in seven test sites in Finland, France, G
July 16, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
The DRIVE C2X provides a comprehensive, Europe-wide assessment of cooperative systems through field operational tests, and is to present its results on 16 and 17 July in Berlin.


The test results are the last step in the preparation for the roll-out of cooperative systems in Europe. During the three and a half years of the project, more than 750 drivers tested eight safety-related functions of cooperative functions all over Europe. The operational tests took place in seven test sites in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.  In total, more than 200 vehicles drove more than 1.5 million kilometres. A faultless performance of the functions during these extensive field trials has shown that the system is mature for deployment.

The tests have clearly demonstrated a positive impact of DRIVE C2X on safety and efficiency.  Drivers reacted to information and warning signals. As an example, the in-vehicle signage (IVS) on speed limit and weather warning (WW) showed most potential to decrease fatalities. Assuming a 100 per cent penetration rate, IVS speed limit that provides continuous information would reduce on average 23 per cent in fatalities and 13 per cent in injuries. WW would lead to 6% less fatalities and 5 per cent less injuries.  From an efficiency perspective, functions such as the IVS on speed limit and green light optimised speed Advisory (GLOSA) indicated significant effects for both the environment and traffic efficiency. Drivers reacted to the information by reducing their speed in most cases.

User acceptance is high with nine out of ten test users welcoming the cooperative systems. Users indicated that they are willing to use it if it were available in their vehicles. The test results also demonstrate a positive impact on travel comfort. Specifically, journey quality is improved in terms of decreased user uncertainty and stress, and feeling of safety and comfort.

In addition, Drive C2X also shows evidence for economic viability thanks to more than 50 interviews with representatives across all major stakeholder groups. The interviews revealed that the economic potential can significantly be increased if cooperative systems are launched both as standard equipment and open to third party applications.

The benefits of the Drive C2X system result from an increase in safety – less or less severe accidents – and decrease of traffic congestion. Comparing the benefits of C2C and C2I-technology, the project concluded that the benefits resulting from infrastructure based systems are slightly higher than those from C2C-technology.

Urban Traffic Control Location Based Systems

Related Content

  • German authorities use CB-radio message to reduce accidents in roadworks
    April 8, 2014
    Citizen Band radio is proving useful to prevent accidents in Germany’s roadworks. In common with other German Länder (federal regions) with large volumes of commercial vehicles using their trunk road networks, Bavaria had been experiencing high levels of road traffic accidents (RTAs) involving heavy trucks in the vicinity of minor motorway maintenance sites. This was despite the extensive visual warning regulations published in the German federal road safety audit (RSA) guidelines for the protection of site
    Read More
  • Healthy prospects for floating vehicle data systems
    February 3, 2012
    Elmar Brockfeld, Alexander Sohr and Peter Wagner from the German Aerospace Center's Institute of Transport Systems look at the prospects for floating vehicle data systems. Although Floating Vehicle Data (FVD) or probe vehicle fleets have been around for about a decade, the idea behind them is of course much older: from probe vehicles that flow with the traffic it should be possible to get a precise, fast and spatially near-complete picture of the prevailing traffic flow conditions in an area under surveilla
    Read More
  • Europe’s heavy trucks ‘no more fuel-efficient than ten years ago’
    December 4, 2015
    A study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) claims that trucks in the European Union are no more fuel-efficient than they were a decade ago. The study, which analyses data from the European commercial trucking market, looking at key member states, manufacturers and fuel consumption trend, found that heavy-duty vehicles represent only four per cent of the on-road fleet in the European Union, but are responsible for 30 per cent of on-road CO2 emissions. In contrast, the study cla
    Read More
  • ETSC report: ‘Urgent action needed’ on VRU deaths
    February 4, 2020
    Vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as cyclists and pedestrians are still at significant risk of injury on Europe’s roads, according to new research.
    Read More

Highlighted Content