better use of existing infrastructures
Minimizing congestion is the principal objective of ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) technology. Several techniques are already available :
  • advanced information systems to modify driver behavior,
  • access control (ramp metering) to limit the input into highways close to congestion,
  • speed control and enforcement to operate near optimum flow condition.
  • incident detection to decrease intervention time and prevent rear-end collisions.
More advanced techniques are ready for market introduction such as the ACC (Advanced Cruise Control) and collision warning to reduce the risk of rear-end collision and hopefully to minimize stop-and-go phenomenon in congested situations. However, the great expectation is to improve the usage of space by a factor of 5 to 10 with the concept of Platooning.