Discussion on road infrastructure at ITS European Congress (Toulouse)

30 May 2022 | Toulouse, France

On the 30^th May, IRF organised the specific session Preparing the infrastructure for Autonomous Mobility during the ITS European Congress held in Toulouse (France).

The ERF was represented in the discussion by Laura Coconea (SWARCO Head of Innovation) who described the set of recommendations for better road markings developed within the ERF Road Safety Programme during the revision of the European Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive.

Operation of a fully automated vehicle will indeed increasingly emphasize not only the role of the vehicle, but also of the surrounding environment (i.e. the road and relative road infrastructure). In this sense, the debate approached different perspectives to prepare the infrastructure including both physical and digital layers. Participants agreed on the importance of general performance requirements for road markings and road signs in order to facilitate the development of cooperative, connected and automated mobility systems.

In addition, and besides technical remarks, discussions focussed on how these concepts need to turn into policy and how collaboration and harmonization across EU member states must play a fundamental role.