Abstract
Due to fast development of new technologies in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) a number of new research topics arise, especially in view of vulnerable road users (VRUs). While most advancements in the ITS sector are primarily targeting motorised transport with focus on safety and ecological aspects of transport, there is still a lack of both research and innovation considering VRUs. The vulnerable road users and ITS (VRUITS) project, co-funded by the European Commission, aims at actively integrating the "human" element into the ITS approach. The focus of this paper is on the mixed methods approach applied in the project to assess both actual user needs and expert opinions on perceived barriers and necessary adaptations on technological, societal and behavioural levels for a successful and sustainable deployment of new technologies.
Highlights
In recent years Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) have become a ubiquitously used term and field of activity in transport research as well as traffic system development
The chosen exploratory approach applied in the basic research phase of the vulnerable road users and ITS (VRUITS) project aimed at providing qualitative input needed for both discussing attitudes, potential issues and barriers and market uptake of emerging ITS addressing vulnerable road users (VRUs)
The results collected in course of both expert interviews and focus group discussions with VRUs clearly indicate a high level of conformity between experts and potential
Summary
In recent years Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) have become a ubiquitously used term and field of activity in transport research as well as traffic system development. From infrastructural systems which intelligently activate traffic lighting and adapt it to actual traffic flow, to in vehicle technologies such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) these developments focussed on motorised road traffic (Brookhuis et al 2001), while vulnerable road users (VRUs) were rather seen as obstacles that were difficult to consider appropriately in the system architecture. International research and development projects approach this short-coming by assessing actual ITS potential based on VRU needs and expectations (Methorst, 2010) in the frame of experimental field trials (Pécheux et al 2009). The main focus of the VRUITS approach was to demonstrate how VRU safety, mobility, and comfort, can be considered appropriately in connection with the development of ITS, and how HMI (human machine interface) design can be adapted to the needs of the heterogeneous groups of VRUs
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