UTC

Deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), an EU-wide railway signalling system is proceeding at a very low-level, according to a new report from European Court of Auditors. In assessing if the ERTMS had been proper planned, deployed and managed, the auditors visited Denmark, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands and detected a reluctance from infrastructure managers to invest in the necessary equipment due the expense and a lack individual business cases.

Vehicle infotainment systems take drivers eyes off the road and hands off the wheel for potentially dangerous periods of time, according to the latest research from the American Automobile Association’s Foundation for Traffic Safety (AFTF). The AFTF commissioned researchers from the University of Utah to examine visual (eyes off road) and cognitive (mental) demands and the time taken to complete infotainment systems tasks on 120 drivers aged 12 -36 on 30 new 2017 model-year vehicles.

UK-based research establishment TRL has launched a blind spot simulator rig which uses virtual reality to improve truck cab design, road layouts and improve the safety of road users and reduce costs for designers. The precision of the system is based on a physical rig developed by TRL and Volvo. It ensures an accurate representation of direct vision from a real-life Volvo vehicle cab which allows seat, steering and wheel adjustments to be replicated for each driver.

Parkeon Transportation has partnered with technology provider Timespace to expand the company's integration capability into on-vehicle surveillance. CCTV specialist Anthony O' Brien has joined the company and will be working with bus companies to implement digital video recording technology to augment passenger safety and asset security. Through using this technology, the systems will record key data along with hi-definition imagery, along with live view connectivity.

In order to reduce the number of road fatalities over a ten-year period, the Zambian Government has awarded Kapsch a contract with Lamise Trading for the installation of traffic systems to increase road safety. The 17-year nation-wide concession contract will include the design, installation and operation of systems in traffic surveillance, vehicle speed enforcement, vehicle inspection and vehicle registration. The number of vehicles on Zambia’s roads increased by 280% to 700, 000 in the decade to 2

Traffic hotspots in 25 of the most congested cities in the US cost drivers billions of dollars over the next ten years, according to a new report by Inrix’s cloud-based analysis tool. Inrix’s Roadway analytics (IRA) tool ranked over 100, 000 traffic hotspots with economic cost calculated on wasted time, lost fuel and carbon emissions over the next ten years.

Kapsch TrafficCom will use the 2017 ITS World Congress Montréal to showcase its integrated mobility solutions for the smart cities and connected communities of the future. Visitors to the company’s booth will experience how Kapsch uses intelligent traffic technologies to improve the way people live, work, move, commute, and interact with each other.

The UK’s drivers need help to better understand Smart Motorways, Red X signs and breakdown procedures, according to research by Transport Focus, an independent transport user watchdog. Its research showed that safety is not at the forefront of drivers’ minds and few know what to do in the event of a breakdown.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has added analytics and origin-destination to its existing Inrix traffic services to help monitor, measure and manage the state’s road network. As part of the agreement, StreetLight Data will enable ODOT to transform Inrix data into actionable intelligence. Ohio DOT will utilise analytic tools and traffic services from Inrix and StreetLight Data to improve system planning, traffic management and operations in Ohio.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced consultation of West London’s first segregated lane, Cycle Superhighway 9 (CS9), connecting Kennington Olympia to Brentford. The 6km CS9 follows Khan’s plan to make to encourage cycling and capital’s streets healthier and safer. The segregated tracks will cover Hammersmith Road, King Street, Chiswick High Road, Brentford High Street and Kew Bridge Road, and allow cyclists to bypass Hammersmith Gyratory and Kew Bridge Junction. There will also be five new traffic light