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Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)What It IsThe VII Initiative is a cooperative effort among USDOT, state governments, and the automobile industry to support development of an information infrastructure for ongoing real-time data communications with and among vehicles to enable a number of safety, mobility, and commercial applications. An implemented VII network will enable travelers to access traffic condition and routing information for multiple modes of travel, receive warnings about imminent hazards, and conduct commercial transactions within their vehicles. Transportation agencies will have access to data needed to better manage traffic operations, support planning, and more efficiently manage maintenance services. The goals of the VII initiative are to (1) assess the value; (2) determine the technical feasibility, economic viability, and social acceptance; and (3) conduct research needed to support development of a VII network. America ’s roadways have a safety and congestion problem. Vehicle crashes account for more than 42,000 deaths per year. Urban surface transportation congestion is estimated at $80 billion per year. Fifteen years of ITS research have indicated that traffic condition and roadway information can have a tangible and significant positive impact on these statistics. Furthermore, new technology, enabling active safety applications, such as advanced warnings to drivers approaching a patch of ice or merging into another car, have the potential to provide whole new levels of safety benefits. Current StatusUSDOT’s VII program is divided into three phases:
In December 2007, USDOT announced SafeTrip-21—Safe and Efficient Travel through Innovation and Partnerships in the 21 st Century. This multi-application field test of safety and congestion-reducing technologies will be launched at the Intelligent Transportation Systems World Congress in New York City from November 16-18, 2008 and then integrated into other test locations. SafeTrip-21 builds upon research into the use of information, navigation, and communications technologies to prevent accidents and alleviate congestion by providing drivers with real-time safety warnings, traffic and transit information, and advanced navigational tools. SafeTrip-21 will accelerate testing and deployment of these capabilities. Phase II continues the foundational research necessary to determine the viability of a nationwide VII deployment decision. Significant work has been done in partnership with automakers, equipment suppliers, and State and local governments in assessing potential technology and applications. Concept testing is being conducted in Michigan, California, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and New York. Privacy principles and related technical requirements have been developed. Study of other legal and institutional issues is underway, and work has begun to explore potential deployment scenarios and business models. Phase III will be an ongoing scanning activity to make sure that the vehicle infrastructure integration initiative continues to plan for and use the best available technology over time. FHWA-JPO-08-016 ITS EDL 14086 For more information go to: http://www.its.dot.gov/vii/index.htm or http://www.vehicle-infrastructure.org/ Updated August 20, 2008 10:23 AM |
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