Kadernotitie voertuiggeleiding deel I: workshop paper [Automated vehicle guidance Part I: Workshop paper]

In order to make road traffic safe, efficient and clean, more and more use is made of modern information and communication systems. With respect to this tendency the question rises whether automated vehicle guidance (AVG) should form an element of a future traffic system. The present paper discusses this issue.
Firstly an overview is given of the present AVG developments in international projects. It appears that both in Japan, US and Europe substantial research efforts are devoted to the development of AVG subsystems such as intelligent cruise control and automated lateral guidance. This work is done in a close cooperation among research labs, industry and governments. Based on these technological developments and the societal need for drastic improvements in road traffic it is predicted that AVG will gradually develop as an element of a partially automated traffic system.
Better use of the existing infrastructure is generally considered as main advan-tage of AVG. Estimates of gains in road capacity more or less confirm this, although the predictions differ considerably. Traffic models describing this effect should be improved. AVG is expected to improve road safety as well. Here also more integrated traffic models are needed to come to valid predic-tions which are based on realistic estimates about the possible behavioral effects from the user side. Furthermore, most studies expect AVG to have a moderate positive effect on energy use and emissions. Environmental and safety issues should influence AVG developments to a much larger extent, e.g. by integrating clean engine and/or electric power technology. In terms of an inherently safe traffic system AVG might serve as an integral part of a roadway system with a limited set of road categories.