ITS and the battle against terrorism

Following the murderous events in Paris, investigators will be looking at how the terrorists’ plans could have been detected and foiled and why that did not happen in this case. Full details are not yet known but from the press reports it appears that there were several missed opportunities which centre on travel and transport: A car stopped by the German police was found to contain weapons and had a Paris address programed into its satellite navigation; the ‘mastermind’ has travelled undetected from Syria,
November 30, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

Following the murderous events in Paris, investigators will be looking at how the terrorists’ plans could have been detected and foiled and why that did not happen in this case. Full details are not yet known but from the press reports it appears that there were several missed opportunities which centre on travel and transport: A car stopped by the German police was found to contain weapons and had a Paris address programed into its satellite navigation; the ‘mastermind’ has travelled undetected from Syria, another two participants had travelled from Belgium in hired cars. After the atrocities took place another suspect is reported to have been stopped on their way to the Belgian border and then released.

If those initial reports turn out to be correct, then there are clearly internal communications issues for the security services to address but beyond that they will be looking at how such networks can be detected and their plots foiled. While the detection will probably centre on intercepting communications, preventing the perpetrators from arranging, equipping and carrying out their murderous deeds is likely to involve disrupting their travel plan. The reality is that the systems employed by the transportation sector are better equipped to detecting – or being modified to detect – the movement of marked individuals and suspect vehicles than any others currently deployed.

So in addition to tighter border controls, the response to Paris could involve road authorities, car hire and car share companies and transit operators having to monitor traffic and travellers for marked individuals. Furthermore, if one or more of these individuals is detected, there is likely to be a duty to inform the relevant authority.

While it probably won’t be long before we know the outcomes of these security reviews it seems clear that the transportation sector will be involved in countering future plots. Therefore it would be preferable for transportation authorities to participate in these conversations from the outset, rather than waiting for regulations to be imposed from on high.

Related Content

  • Don’t drive drunk – or use a hands-free phone
    August 29, 2019
    Despite law changes, drivers’ bad habits have been creeping back in. TRL’s Dr Shaun Helman tells Adam Hill why using a phone at the wheel is just as distracting as driving after a few drinks esearch from as far back as 2002 (see box) suggests that driving while making a phone call – either hands-free or holding a handset to your ear – creates the same amount of distraction as being drunk behind the wheel. While it is notoriously hard to predict how alcohol will affect an individual (due to the speed of
    Read More
  • The growth of ITS service solutions providers
    July 26, 2012
    Econolite's new subsidiary Aegis ITS has been set up to address the increasingly complex and exacting needs of agencies in the ITS sector. Chief Operating Officer Doug Terry talks about the evolution to service solution provider. A few very notable and honourable exceptions notwithstanding, it is these days becoming increasingly rare to find a public agency which develops its own traffic management systems. Indeed, most now rely on specialist manufacturers and suppliers to fulfil their needs. This has the h
    Read More
  • In-vehicle systems as enforcement enablers?
    January 30, 2012
    From an enforcement perspective at least, Toyota's recent recalls over problems with accelerator pedal assemblies had a positive outcome in that for the first time a major motor manufacturer outside of the US acknowledged publicly what many have known or suspected for quite a while: that the capability exists within certain car companies to extract data from a vehicle onboard unit which can be used to help ascertain, if not prove outright, just what was happening in the vital seconds up to an accident or cr
    Read More
  • Parifex speed cameras: picture perfect
    September 30, 2020
    From speed cameras to smart cities, image processing and AI – Parifex is not short of ambition. Nathalie Deguen tells Adam Hill where the French company is heading next
    Read More

Highlighted Content