Over many decades, road transport has proved to be by far the most efficient and cost-effective means of moving the majority of freight from manufacturers to consumers. Recently, our industry has become more sophisticated as transport companies have become "solutions providers" which sounds clever, but still basically means they move goods from A to B with a few peripheral activities tacked on to the core transport business. Not only has industry changed over the years, but also the conditions in which transport companies operate have changed out of all recognition. Twenty years ago, 350,000 lorries per annum left the UK travelling to mainland Europe, while the latest statistics suggest that figure is nearer 1.7 million. Clearly, road transport in Europe is a sector that has undergone tremendous growth
The trouble is that the lorries and vans which distribute these goods for us can be delayed by other vehicles (there are 420,000 hgvs on the road in the UK compared with 22 million cars and 2.2 million light vans) accidents and roadworks. Delays, in turn, disrupt delivery schedules and cause problems in relation to a driver's available driving time.

Customers want their goods delivered and collected by a reliable, predicable service, not excuses why it can't be done

The result is customer dissatisfaction, driver stress, higher operating costs and perhaps even a need for additional vehicles to be bought or hired in, in order to maintain the same level of service. This is where telematics in transport shows its value and may be a contributing factor towards road safety.
Research has proved that driver error rather than vehicle failure is by far the principal cause of accidents and this issue is now being addressed by a wide variety of development projects. Some of these will produce the next generation of On-Board Computers (OBCs), which will combine mapping programmes with other road information such as speed limits, height restrictions (already available in the FTA/AA's Trucker's Atlas) and even recommend speeds along country roads or around roundabouts. Another area which is rapidly growing is in the development of inter-vehicle hazard warning systems, where vehicles fitted with a particular device will warn drivers if they get too close to the vehicle in front for prevailing weather conditions. This and other "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems" (ADAS) are in the pipeline. Of course, drivers may choose not to take the advice the OBC gives him, but at least one manufacturer has developed technology that will apply the brakes automatically if drivers do not slow down their vehicles. If the work goes well, what we are describing here should be commercially available from 2005/6.

Future systems will also be able to monitor vehicle maintenance status, predicting servicing due, brake pad replacement, axle overloads and a whole host of other alerts. On-board image processing of the road ahead will be able to determine the vehicle's position on the road in relation to other users and hazards, sounding an alarm if it drifts out of line. Some of this may be considered by sceptics to be "blue sky" thinking. Even so, the contribution that telematics can make today to road safety is not insignificant.

Probably the biggest plus for drivers is the reduction in stress they enjoy as result of having high tech communication on board their vehicles. They can advise their base of problems they have encountered en-route. If they have mapping facilities, they can plot alternative routes around congestion hot spots and continue their journey.

Safety implications
What must not be overlooked in all of this are the safety implications of using some of these devices. One of the main criticisms levelled against their installation is that operating the buttons can be so fiddly that while doing so a driver may lose control of his or her vehicle. The Department for Transport has recently issued a consultation paper on the use of mobile phones while driving, and the intention is for the new regulations to prohibit the use of hand-held phones and other similar hand-held devices that permit two-way communication, whether the medium is speech, text or some other form of data. The proposals, if adopted, will undoubtedly have an impact of how OBC's are installed and operated.

Many of the products on offer give voice instructions to the driver so he or she does not have to take his or her eyes off the road to look at a small map display. Other systems bleep him so he can pull over and read or download his instructions when it is safe to do so. The best systems will only allow the driver to access his or her messages when the vehicle is stationary and/or when the ignition is switched off. Companies promoting best practice already insist the driver pulls over before fiddling with keyboards or mobile phones. Much of the above can also be monitored by transport office staff who decide how to re-route drivers to maximise drops and collections made, thus ensuring the best possible level of customer satisfaction.

One of the ways in which telematics today can help speed up a driver's progress is by the application of what is known as "geo-fencing". What happens is that when a vehicle passes a particular point some distance from its next delivery a message is relayed to that customer advising them that the lorry is, say, 10 minutes away. This gives them time to clear a parking space or organise a fork truck so that unloading is done as quickly as possible and the driver can continue on his way without undue delay and therefore keeping to schedule.

The same technology can be used to monitor any deviation from a vehicle's route. Thus any driver whose vehicle is stolen can be reassured to know that once it breaks the geo-fence an alarm will be picked up by the office and appropriate action taken. There are in fact a number of very sophisticated pan-European tracking systems available that do this, some automatically linking in with police forces. Unobtrusive panic buttons may also be fitted to alert a vehicle's base.
Effective use of routing and tracking software packages can also contribute to road safety. Several companies have commented that they have been able to reduce their fleet size yet maintain the same level of service. Although lorries are statistically involved in far fewer accidents than light vehicles, when there is a crash, the consequences are usually more dramatic. So any reduction in the overall number of vehicles and mileage run has to be welcomed.

There are a number of programmes available which can be added to routing software that will also provide information on a driver's hours of work and his style of driving. Penalties are severe for both drivers and their employers when infringements of the rules are detected. Details of when a driver took rest breaks, how fast he was driving and even whether or not he was driving in a fuel-efficient or smooth manner can be downloaded and presented to management. Over-tired or reckless drivers can therefore be detected, disciplined or trained according to their circumstances and the company's policy.

So far we have only looked at driver and office issues, but the road environment itself offers opportunities for telematics to contribute to road safety. One of the key elements in this area is the efficient and effective use of Variable Message Signs (VMS) on motorways and trunk roads. In the future, inclusion of anticipated journey times, advice on conditions many miles further on and ferry or port information will make en-route planning practicable; providing reassurance or warnings in advance all contributes to the well-being of the driver. The Welsh Assembly, Scottish Executive and the Highways Agency are all working on the development of traffic information systems which will warn motorists, almost in real-time, of the road conditions ahead.

Not only has Industry changed over the years, but also the conditions in which transport companies operate have changed out of all recognition

Advances in electronics mean that permits or tickets for the use of toll roads may be purchased in advance over the internet from homes or offices, or via smart cards swiped through special readers at toll sites. This will avoid, or at least help reduce, queues and stress at payment points, allowing billing electronically, and removing the need for drivers to fumble for change. In some towns and urban centres public transport vehicles are fitted with transponders enabling them to automatically lower traffic barriers into the ground thus allowing them to pass, or to influence the sequence of traffic lights in their favour. Some European tram systems use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology for monitoring and regulating vehicle speed. Well thought out and rigidly enforced traffic management schemes can reduce the volume of non-essential vehicles in urban centres and contribute to road safety.
Once the European satellite system "Galileo" comes on stream, which is due in about six years' time, it is expected that capacity for additional electronic real-time positioning services will be vastly increased. Galileo will enable the development of many applications including running trains, landing aircraft as well as tracking or guiding road vehicles. It could also make the introduction of a Europe-wide road-user charging scheme for cars, buses and lorries a possibility.

Conclusion
This article has attempted to show that there are a variety of ways in which modern technological developments can perhaps make a contribution to road safety. But at the end of the day all these new systems can only play a small part in achieving an improvement. Far more important are factors such as standards of driving. Drivers do not have accidents, drivers crash, as a result of their own inexperience or attitude, or that of others they meet out on the road. Refresher training for all classes of road user which includes development of an attitude of patience and awareness of one's surroundings would be far more effective in the improvement of safety standards and the reduction of casualties. Technology might be helpful, but drivers retain ultimate responsibility for the safe progress of their vehicles.

By Donald M Armour, Fleet Mananger, Freight
Transport Association