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Motoring news

Technology 'to make travel more sustainable'

26/01/2010

A report by the Government's sustainability advisors on the future of travel has suggested ways that technology could play a greater part in controlling driver behaviour on the UK's roads.

These could include wider use of average speed cameras across the motorway network, or cars being compelled to obey speed limits through adaptive electronic enforcement, the Sustainable Development Commission says.

The suggestions are contained within its Smarter Moves report, which aimed to find ways of improving safety and lowering vehicle emissions on the country's roads.

Currently, average speed cameras - which measure the time it takes a vehicle to travel between two fixed points - are a common sight at road works, but have only been installed permanently in a handful of motorway locations.

However, they could become an important element in controlling traffic speed, the commission says. Noting that 52% of drivers ignore the 70mph limit, it says that the devices - believed to be more effective at enforcing speed limits than static cameras - could produce a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 1.4 million tonnes each year.

In addition, the report says that the Government should encourage the use of average speed camera networks in urban areas, on the grounds that virtually half of drivers don't stick to 30mph limits. Last week, Transport for London announced the first deployment of the cameras on an urban road with multiple entries and exits.

More advanced interactive applications of technology could include Intelligent Speed Adaption (ISA), where vehicles could be automatically limited depending on the speed limit of the road they are travelling on.

And technology could help the sustainability of the transport network by reducing the need for travel in the first place. The commission is advocating increased use of video conferencing facilities - with Government employees 'leading by example' - and greater provisions for home working.

The organisation's business commissioner Stewart Davies said: "Government and businesses in the UK must rise to the challenge of working innovatively together to improve the quality and accessibility of [technological] transport solutions.

"The results could help the UK meet a broad range of economic, environmental, and health goals."

Ellen Booth, campaigns officer at road safety charity Brake, told Admiral News that average speed cameras "provide a better incentive for drivers to slow down and stay within speed limits for longer stretches of road, rather than just slowing down for a fixed-site camera, and then speeding up".

"We urge the Government to act on the recommendations made in this report, as this is literally a matter of life and death," she added.