Discussing Potential Improvements in Road Safety: A Comparison of Conditions in Japan and the United States to Guide Implementations of Intelligent Road Transportation Systems

The potential impact of Intelligent Road Transportation Systems (Advanced Road Traffic Systems in Japan; Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems in the United States) on road safety is discussed through comparison of road transportation in Japan and the United States. The resulting insights show that IRTS should 1) focus on regional needs, emphasize road safety, and respond flexibly to uncertainty in accident trends in order to reduce the magnitude of the road safety issue, 2) adapt to roadway architecture and traffic conditions, be perceived as effective and automatic, and handle any detrimental higher order systems effects in order to be effective, and 3) be compelling, receive government support, and manage uncertainty from countervailing marketplace trends in order to gain market penetration. The potential safety benefit of eliminating alcohol from roadways is identified as greater than the analogous benefit of IRTS. These insights should help ensure that IRTS adequately addresses road safety issues.