SOCRATES: System of Cellular RAdio for Traffic Efficiency and Safety

SOCRATES is the largest project in the European Communities' research programme DRIVE. The objective is to investigate the use and feasibility of a Road Transport Informatics (RTI) system based on cellular radio, and to make recommendations which could lead to the use of a pan-European cellular radio system such as GSM as the basis of the DRIVE “Integrated Road Transport Environment” (IRTE).

The overall concept is based on the collection, storage and processing of road traffic information within traffic control centres, and on the two-way information flow between vehicles and roadside infrastructure: firstly to send information to drivers and their in-car units, secondly to collect real-time traffic data and other messages from the vehicles.

The paper presents an overview of the SOCRATES concept and its results and conclusions to date, including the implementation of the major test site in Gothenburg. It concludes by describing plans for pilot projects in several European countries as the next step towards the commercial implementation of SOCRATES in Europe during the 1990s.