Geneva, 13 February 2004 - In
the framework of the sixty-sixth session
of the UNECE Inland Transport Committee,
a Round Table on Intelligent Transport
Systems (ITS) will be held at the Palais
des Nations, Room VII, on Wednesday, 18
February 2004, from 3 to 6 p.m. (see programme).
The Round Table will
analyze the state of the art of the new
ITS technologies and the major research
and development projects that are currently
being undertaken in this area throughout
the world, focusing on in-vehicle intelligent
technologies.
In-vehicle ITS technologies
have developed rapidly in recent years
and several projects, aiming to improve
vehicle safety and therefore road traffic
safety, have been undertaken. Some of
those technologies, such as adaptive cruise
control systems, have already been incorporated
into the UNECE Vehicle Regulations and
into vehicles themselves. Others, such
as automatically commanded steering systems,
are in the process of being included into
Regulations.
Under the general view
that ITS is an important tool to improve
vehicle and road traffic safety as well
as the comfort of drivers and passengers,
high level officials of the Governments
and the car manufacturing industries of
the three most advanced regions of the
world, North America, Europe and Japan,
will present their current ITS technologies.
Worldwide research on potential benefits
and risks of the ITS technologies will
also be presented. Finally, the Round
Table will address the importance of in-vehicle
ITS for the future and the possible solutions
to permit an easy incorporation of these
technologies to the legislative framework.
The Round Table has been
prepared by the World Forum for Harmonization
of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), which
in the last two years has been following
the development of in-vehicle ITS technologies
and working on the question how best to
insert them into the existing vehicle
regulatory framework without imposing
restrictions to their future technical
development.
The Round Table is open to the public.
For further information please contact:
José Capel Ferrer, Director,
Helmut Lehmacher, or Juan Ramos García
Transport Division
United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0)22 917 2401 /2434 /1998
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 0039
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Ref: ECE/TRANS/04/P01