The United Kingdom believes it has the opportunity to be a worldwide center of excellence for Intelligent Mobility. A new report from its Automotive Council calls for integrated use of existing technology to improve its transport networks. Congestion, accidents and a growing population are all putting a strain on the U.K.’s transport networks, creating a costly and ineffective transport system that also negatively impacts economic productivity.
As one of the top 25 wealthiest nations, the U.K. ranks as the eighth most densely populated and the fifth most congested. Annually, congestion costs the U.K. $18 billion. Road accidents cost $14.6 billion, and poor air quality costs more than $7 billion. A growing population with an increasing number of older people is also putting a strain on the U.K.’s transport system. It is very costly for the country to meet the continuous demands on its infrastructure. If a solution to congestion is not found, economic activity will be seriously impaired.
“Globally, congestion is a growing problem, and accidents -- although at a historic low -- still occur,” says Richard Parry-Jones, chairman of the Automotive Council. “New technological developments now present an opportunity to revolutionize the way highways operate by pooling the information carried onboard vehicles and using it to understand the position, speed and direction of vehicles in an area to both virtually eliminate collisions and use road capacity more efficiently.”
