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Sustainable Civil Infrastructures Utilization and Regulations of Innovative Technology to Improve Road Safety via Drivers’ Warnings and Enforcement

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Smart and Green Solutions for Civil Infrastructures Incorporating Geological and Geotechnical Aspects (GeoChina 2021)

Part of the book series: Sustainable Civil Infrastructures ((SUCI))

Abstract

The research addresses theoretical analyses for accidents’ frequencies and severities in terms of speed and driver, vehicle and roadway conditions. Variable speed limits (VSL) for various road conditions, such as wet and dry pavement, visibility, day/night driving and general vehicles vs heavy vehicles are studied. Differential speed limits are theoretically analyzed via equation derivations and examples of used equations, especially by AASHTO. The paper addresses regulations and technology innovations in setting VSL for various conditions and vehicle types and how to relay VSL to drivers. In addition to warn speeding drivers and ultimately to use high-tech methods to enforce the speed limit.

The paper addresses the issue of privacy of technology sensors and trackers of drivers. It concludes with innovative technology adaptations and regulations, especially addressing legal issues. This includes vehicle ‘black box’ data via usage of global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) up to the use of autonomous vehicles. The voluntary or mandatory usage of data by other than the driver, such as the vehicle insurance agency, the motor vehicle administration or even the police department are discussed and explored for practical uses that need to gain public acceptance when they become convinced that their benefits clearly outweigh their disadvantages. These are complex issues not just in terms of technological innovations and their validation, but in terms of regulations, legal aspects, privacy, and public acceptance. Hence, optional usage with incentives from insurance companies, motor vehicle administration and even the local police is a logical path for consideration.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA

    Lama Abufares

  2. Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine

    Faisal Awadallah

Authors
  1. Lama Abufares
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  2. Faisal Awadallah
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Lama Abufares or Faisal Awadallah .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Hadi Khabbaz

  2. School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China

    Yang Xiao

  3. Graduate Institute of Architecture, National Ilan University, Yilan, Taiwan

    Jia-Ruey Chang

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Abufares, L., Awadallah, F. (2021). Sustainable Civil Infrastructures Utilization and Regulations of Innovative Technology to Improve Road Safety via Drivers’ Warnings and Enforcement. In: Khabbaz, H., Xiao, Y., Chang, JR. (eds) Smart and Green Solutions for Civil Infrastructures Incorporating Geological and Geotechnical Aspects. GeoChina 2021. Sustainable Civil Infrastructures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79650-1_9

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