Car drivers’ intelligent transportation systems

Perhaps the title ‘Intelligent Transport(ation) Systems (ITS)’ we use is somewhat misleading and too general, but it is a generic term covering all sorts of devices aimed to support drivers. In fact the concept of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) covers the collection of systems and subsystems for solving increasing problems in traffic, from traffic density to safety (Brookhuis & de Waard, 2007), providing drivers with time-, situation-, and location dependent information, warnings and physically intervening with the vehicle control in critical situations (Oppenheim and Shinar, 2011). Some systems can prevent unsafe driving (e.g. Alcolock), others may prevent unsafe situations/actions while driving (e.g. Antilock Braking System - ABS, Electronic Stability Control - ESC, Adaptive/Autonomous Cruise Control - ACC), but there is also a class of mainly nomadic devices that could present distraction to the drivers (e.g. mobiles). Oppenheim and Shinar (2007) also warn against possible negative side effects of ITS and e-Safety, e.g. under-load and diminished attention level, information overload, incorrect interpretation of information, overreliance on the system, risk compensation and effect on non-users. In general within ITS systems at least two main subsystems could be distinguished: In-Vehicle Information (and Communication) System (IVIS), and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), but there is a number of different classifications of ITS, one being present in Figure 1 (Schulze et al., 2005)