Abstract
The European Union has set several road-related targets for the year 2010: a 50% reduction of accidents, a 20% reduction in time spent travelling, a 25% increase of effective road capacity, a 20% increase in vehicle occupancy, and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The potential of infrastructure measures and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to reduce speed and enhance safety is considered. Future speed assistance systems are likely to be map-based. Design options for ADAS systems and the likelihood of public acceptance of speed assistance are discussed. For a reliable operation of speed assistance systems, digital map databases need to contain up-to-date speed limit information. This would require a speed assistance system according to a common European specification in each car and the introduction of speed assistance by statutory regulation. Speed assistance could also be used to regulate speed at the approach to intersections. The advantages of speed assistance systems over physical infrastructure measures are discussed.
