IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON ROAD USERS’

SAFETY
INTRODUCTION
Road accidents have cost road users and companies’ great costs and traumas, so researchers have been
actively looking into ways to generally reduce road accidents. As new technologies and concepts are
being developed, transportation technology is also rapidly evolving; this has introduced new risks as
well as new opportunities for development to researchers. So, as much as this new technology can
help to increase and further ensure the safety of road users, it can also be a risk to road users.

SMART MOTORWAYS
One development made by the Department of Transportation of the UK government is “Smart
Motorways”. These were introduced by the government to increase road capacity. The first-ever
Smart Motorway was developed in 2006 the M42. There are 3 types of Smart Motorways, which are:

- Dynamic Hard Shoulder Running: This type of Smart Motorway involves opening the hard
shoulder as a running lane to the traffic during busy periods to reduce congestion. Currently,
this system operates on the M42, M1, M6, M5 and M4. In this type of motorway, the hard
shoulder is separated by a solid line to differentiate it from the other carriageways. The hard
shoulder should not be used when the display above shows an X.
- The All Lane Running: This type of motorway uses the hard shoulder as a “live” running
lane, and like all the other running lanes, it has broken lines to separate it from the other lanes.
The hard shoulder only gets closed in the event of an emergency. This type of motorway was
trialled on the M25.
- The Controlled Motorway: This type of motorway has three or more lanes with variable
controlled speeds, which are controlled by electronic gantry signs. This type of Smart
Motorway has a traditional hard shoulder that can be used in an emergency.

Statistics show that motorways are the safest roads in Great Britain; however, they still account for
5% of road fatalities. Smart Motorways, compared to traditional motorways, have a reduced number
of fatalities, as they have reduced the risk of moving vehicle collision; however, they have an
increased number of live lane breakdowns.

This has caused the public to have safety concerns regarding Smart Motorways, as some road users
have lost their lives due to the fact that they were unable to find refuge when their vehicles broke
down; so to solve this problem, the rollout of smart motorways has been suspended until 2025 and the
government has promised a £900m package to increase the safety within existing Smart Motorways,
and the government plans on using £390m of it to install more than 150 refuge areas on existing smart
motorways, which is 50% more than the present one, and to furthermore ensure the safety of road
users on Smart Motorways, £500 m will be spent on retrofitting more stopped vehicle detection
technology, which is a radar technology used to detect stopped vehicles to ensure the safety of road
users on Smart Motorways, by displaying an “X” on the lane where there’s a stopped car.
USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO HELP VISUALLY IMPAIRED ROAD
USERS
On a daily basis, when commuting and moving around the city, we have to pass through many
junctions, staircases, footpaths, level-crossings and crosswalks, and when communicating a sudden
change of factors may cause a road user to change direction as a hazard is presented, these can be
difficult to be detected by visually impaired road users. These may not seem like a major issue;
however, the World Health Organisation has estimated that around 285 million people are visually
impaired, making the road safety of visually impaired road users a major global issue. For visually
impaired road users it can be extremely challenging to navigate busy urban cities, and even though
guide dogs can offer great support, they can also be quite expensive to breed, raise and train, making
them unavailable as an option for some people. However, the good news is that smartphones, which
are way cheaper, can offer solutions to this issue.

Zebra crossing, with their white and black stripes, maybe something that the regular road user may
spot easily; however, for visually impaired road users, this can be extremely difficult, as they don’t
use sound to alert when it is safe to cross it. To help with this issue, researchers have developed an
app called Zebra X. This app takes data that can be already found in the hardware of smartphones, and
connects it to an algorithm that allows the smartphone to detect zebra crossing. A similar app is the
Wayfindr app, which was designed specifically for the 9,000 visually impaired individuals based in
London.

TECHNOLOGY BEING USED TO HELP DRIVERS WITH

DISABILITIES
In the past few years, standard car technology has become more and more sophisticated that we barely
even notice new changes made to new cars (such as keyless start, parking sensors, electric windows,
etc…) as they have become the new normal. These technological improvements made to cars make
motoring easier for both disabled and non-disabled drivers. However, today due to the advances in
technology, more disabled individuals can drive more than ever. These new cars with these new
technological improvements can be however expensive, so not everyone may be able to afford it;
that’s why some people may be able to get this new improvement in their vehicle through the
Motability scheme.

USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

As we continue to go forward with technology, public transportation is an area that keeps developing
and improving. There are multiple ways in which technology has improved and has helped the
transportation sector with solutions and some of these are:

- Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS): this is a concept that has been existing for a few years.
However, it has recently become more established. This consists of using technology
interfaces to determine the best and most efficient route that should be by combining different
modes of transportation, and this also may include a ticketing system that allows you to use a
ticket for all the modes of transport that are going to be used.
 - Artificial Intelligence (AI): This now also plays a major role in the future of public
transportation, as it has now become an essential part of transportation for both passengers
and transport providers, as it can identify patterns, such as:
o Trends in travel routes, time, destinations, and distance per trip, which can be
beneficial for both passengers and transportation companies.
o Learning which routes are on demand and when they are mostly on demand, and what
time. This can be beneficial to transportation companies, as they can use this data to
meet the demand of transportation users.
o AI can be also used to monitor CCTV footage and identify suspicious behaviour,
which allows members of the public to be alerted of this behaviour.
- Driverless vehicles: When talking about driverless vehicles, people first think about cars and
trucks. However, soon these will also include buses, trams, and taxis. By using AI to route
autonomous public transportation, the risk of human error is reduced, which furthermore
reduces the risks of accidents, which increases safety.

Technology is also used to help disabled individuals, which are over 11.6 million in the UK, to access
public transport, as many completely avoid travelling due to the difficulties, which can lead to
isolation and depression. One way technology has been used to help individuals with disabilities is
through the development of the Wayfindr app, which we previously mentioned.

AUTOMATED VEHICLES
Automated vehicles, also known as “self-driving” vehicles, and these are becoming the future of
vehicles within the UK, as the government has decided that UK roads could see automated vehicles,
such as cars, coaches and lorries, rolled out by 2025, with the safety of road users made a priority,
through new laws. The government has decided to invest a total of £100 million, with £34 million
going towards the research to support safety developments to ensure that also feels safe about using
these automated vehicles and get used to the fact that this will become a regular mode of
transportation. This also includes research investigating driving in poor weather conditions and how
to interact with pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles. Automated vehicles will be available to be
purchased this year by only individuals that carry a driving license; however, in 2025, automated
vehicles may not require anyone with a driver's license on board as they will be able to drive
themselves throughout the journey. This can be really beneficial to individuals with disabilities or
who don’t have a driver's license to allow them to move around autonomously.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, as much as these new technological developments, such as the Smart Motorway, can be
seen a risk to road users, these have overall increased the safety of road users. And furthermore, to
ensure that the public feels safer, the government invests in finding ways to make these new
developments safer. Also, these new technologies ensure that travelling is made easier for road users,
to further reduce the risk of complication in an individual journey and reduce the risk of accidents,
which shows how overall technology has a positive impact on road users.
REFERNCES
Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, 2022. Self-driving revolution to boost economy and improve
road safet. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/self-driving-revolution-to-boost-economy-and-
improve-road-safety
[Accessed 2 05 2023].

Mazur, S., 2022. New Public Transit Technology: How Emerging Tech Is Changing Transportation.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.digi.com/blog/post/new-public-transit-technology-emerging-tech
[Accessed 01 05 2023].

Mollloy, N., 2022. 7 technologies that can help public transport adapt to a new era. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fitts.io/7-technologies-that-can-help-public-transport-adapt-to-a-new-era/
[Accessed 01 05 2023].

Motability, 2018. How technology can help make driving easier for disabled motorists. [Online]
Available at: https://news.motability.co.uk/motoring/how-technology-can-help-make-driving-easier-
for-disabled-motorists/
[Accessed 1 05 2022].

Reeve, J., 2022. How Smarter Technology Is Helping Disabled Drivers. [Online]
Available at: https://www.motaclarity.co.uk/news/how-smarter-technology-is-helping-disabled-
drivers
[Accessed 1 05 2023].

ROSPA, n.d. Smart motorways. [Online]

Available at: https://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/drivers/smart-motorways
[Accessed 30 April 2023].

Safety and Health Practitione, 2021. New technology driving change in road safety. [Online]
Available at: https://www.shponline.co.uk/legislation-and-guidance/new-technology-driving-change-
in-road-safety/
[Accessed 29 04 2023].

Tophman, G., 2021. Government promises radar on UK smart motorways to detect stopped vehicles.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/20/government-promises-radar-on-uk-
smart-motorways-to-detect-stopped-vehicles
[Accessed 30 april 2023].

Tophman, G., 2022. Smart motorway rollout suspended amid safety concerns. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/12/smart-motorway-rollout-suspended-
amid-safety-concerns
[Accessed 30 04 2023].

Winkless, L., 2017. Technology To Help Visually-Impaired People Navigate Cities. [Online]
Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewinkless/2017/03/28/using-technology-to-help-
visually-impaired-people-navigate-cities/?sh=16f3eba571d5
[Accessed 30 april 2023].