The mission of the European Data Task Force (DTF), established in 2017 by all European transport ministers, the Commission and current industry partners, is to improve road safety by maximising the reach of safety-related traffic information based on safety data generated by vehicles and infrastructure. The DTF initiative "Data for Road Safety", supported by the European Commission, now announced on 2 December that it aims at the long-term introduction of a safety-related traffic information ecosystem (SRTI) to warn drivers of dangerous driving conditions. The announcement was marked by the signing of a Multi-Party Agreement (MPA) in which car manufacturers, automotive suppliers, road authorities, EU Member States and providers of tracking technologies commit themselves to the long-term exchange of safety data to make roads safer.
The agreement, which has a term of 5 years, defines the technical and organizational framework for how safety data from multiple brands and multiple countries can be made available and used in a fair and trustworthy manner within the SRTI ecosystem. It also defines the roles and responsibilities along the SRTI value chain. The SRTI ecosystem is based on a reciprocity model - security data is offered in return for security services. Many vehicles are already equipped with the latest technologies that detect dangerous road conditions and warn drivers - for example, when roads are slippery. Road operators can use their extensive infrastructure to identify potential danger areas. However, these warnings also benefit other drivers and road operators - and Data for Road Safety members believe that regardless of the make of car or navigation application used, all drivers across Europe should have access to a common minimum set of safety information that can help them make better informed decisions and thus save many lives.
Between June 2019 and October 2020, the members of the Data for Road Safety initiative took the first step towards a harmonized exchange of safety-related data by conducting a proof-of-concept (PoC) test of a decentralized data collaboration architecture. During the PoC test, tens of millions of messages were made available to the ecosystem. The vehicles demonstrated their ability to produce data for five of the eight SRTI categories of EU Regulation 886/2013 (unprotected accident site, broken down vehicle, temporarily slippery road, limited visibility and exceptional weather conditions). The provision of this SRTI has already had a positive impact on road safety in Europe. For example, it has helped to speed up the deployment of emergency services and vehicle recovery companies by the authorities. In fact, within seconds the exact location of vehicle accidents and broken-down vehicles was communicated to service providers, who were then able to issue warnings to other road users. With this agreement, the initiative calls upon all willing and relevant actors in the SRTI field to join.
Further information: 'Data for road safety'- initiative.