Skip to main content

TRL at work in Beijing

Dr Alan Stevens, chief scientist and research director at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), has been working in Beijing on an ITS project to develop a strategy to improve safety on the motorways of China, using cooperative ITS as an addition to more traditional safety improvements. It is also expected that this will lead to improvements in capacity and environmental sustainability.
April 7, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Dr Alan Stevens, chief scientist and research director at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (491 TRL), has been working in Beijing on an ITS project to develop a strategy to improve safety on the motorways of China, using cooperative ITS as an addition to more traditional safety improvements.  It is also expected that this will lead to improvements in capacity and environmental sustainability.

Cooperative ITS is as much about organisations cooperating together, as well as cooperation between vehicles and between vehicles and the roadside.  To this end, Alan and his colleague Peter Vermaat have been meeting  key stakeholders such as communications providers, automotive industry, mapping providers, road operators and the Ministry of Transport to discuss their views, capabilities, interests and constraints which could affect what cooperative systems are deployed and how that might take place.

TRL has growing links with China and in February opened a state-of-the-art testing facility based in Guangzhou’s Science City development, designed in conjunction with Inspection, Quarantine, Technology Centre (IQTC). This impact test rig is fitted with the latest technology including the required instrumentation to test to regulation R44 and the new China ‘CCC’ child restraint regulations.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: a solution or another problem?
    November 27, 2013
    Do Advanced Driver Assistance Systems represent a positive step forward for safety, or something of a safety risk? Jason Barnes discusses the issue with leading industry figures. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are already common. Anti-lock brakes or electronic stability control are well understood and are either fitted as standard or frequently requested by new vehicle buyers. More advanced ADAS features are appearing on many top-end vehicles and the trickle-down has already started. Adaptive
  • HERMES Study provides guidance for forward ITS thinking in Finland
    August 25, 2016
    Having authored HERMES, a major study for the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communication, Josef Czako talks to ITS International about his findings and lessons for other authorities. When CEOs of major automakers are predicting more change in the next five years than in the past 50, what is the role of national authorities considering the benefits of innovations in ITS?
  • Argyll and Bute Council pioneer the roll-out of MAAPcloud in Scotland
    April 14, 2014
    MAAPcloud, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory’s (TRL) advanced cloud-based accident management and data analysis software system, has been chosen by Argyll and Bute Council to help them reduce the number of casualties and serious injuries on their roads. Designed by road safety experts at TRL, MAAPcloud supports local authorities, police forces and other road safety stakeholders in making vital road safety investment decisions. The system is intuitive to use and utilises modern cloud-based technologi
  • Flexibility, interoperability is key to future traffic management
    February 3, 2012
    Jon Taylor of Faber Maunsell and Tabatha Bailey of Transport for London describe how an unusual mix of traffic practitioners, researchers and industry are working together to build new tools for the future. As we face higher expectations for managing congestion from both citizens and politicians, and as more and more data is becoming available from new sources, our traffic management challenge is changing.