Automated Highway Systems - I

The demand for overburdened highway system was every time on high. Traffic is jumbled, drivers are snarling. Why should a routine 20 minute drive; take hours? this is the question every time we have when we stuck in traffic. While the traffic blockage multiplies the effects of individual variations in driving performance "as determined by physical abilities, knowledge, experience and, indeed, personality". Many of us lose control over our plans and schedules; at times we rush as we are late or to come early; but this either cause accidents or create ill; or sometimes take us recklessness and bad temper. such situations in turn, makes the highway system even more sluggish, erratic, and nonresponsive to driver needs.

Let us see how - the Automated Highway System - AHS program help and how it stepped high in response to the mandate of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 -ISTEA. There are many precautions and experiments done to develop an automated highway and vehicle prototype, however this is a known fact that with such experiments the future will be fully automated and the intelligent vehicles and highway systems can be developed. They will in turn provide the vision and technology to make highway driving more efficient, safe, and predictable. While in an automated highway system, a car will be guided by the road rather than by the driver. This will be done by the Sensors and communication devices which will link the road and the vehicle to maximize driving performance. In such cases the driver error will be reduced and ultimately the full implementation be eliminated.

These high-performance highway systems seem as the next major evolutionary stage of surface transportation, and are expected to be the focus of major U.S. implementation efforts early in the next century, much like the Interstate Highway System program was the focus of the last half of this century. Though AHS represents a long-term effort, the most exciting aspect of it is that the technology is ready now. This technology to automate routine driving functions exists and will be demonstrated in 1997.

Benefits of AHS

Recent research has proven that the benefits of AHS on the performance of the existing U.S. transportation system will, over time, be enormous and far-reaching. Over the long term, traffic overcrowding will be reduced; safety will be improved to produce a virtually collision-free environment; driving will be predictable and consistent. More specifically, the advantages of AHS implementation include the following.

• More vehicles can be accommodated on the highway, and the number of vehicles per hour per lane can be considerably increased as traffic speeds are standardized and increased and headway distances are decreased.
• Driving safety will be significantly greater than present; while the human error factor will be removed.
• High-performance driving can be conducted without regard to weather and environmental conditions. Fog, haze, low sun angle, rain, blowing dirt, snow, darkness, and other conditions affecting driver visibility and thus, safety and traffic flow will no longer obstruct progress.
• All drivers using AHS can be safe, efficient drivers. AHS offers enhanced mobility for people with disabilities, the elderly, and less experienced drivers.
• Fuel consumption and emissions can be reduced. In other way these reductions will be accomplished because start-and-stop driving will be minimized and because on-board sensors will be monitored to ensure that the vehicle is operating at top performance.  In the long term, the AHS can support future vehicle force/fuel designs.
• Land can be used more efficiently and roads will not need to take up as much room, since AHS facilities should allow for more effective use of the right of way.
• More competent commercial operations; and commercial trucking can realize better trip reliability to support "just-in-time" delivery.
• More proficient transit operations. Transit operations can be automated, extending the flexibility and convenience of the transit option to increase ridership and service.