A REVIEW OF HIGHWAY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

THE GENERAL SUBJECT OF COMMUNICATION WITH DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAYS HAS MANY RAMIFICATIONS. THIS PAPER IS LIMITED TO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS (AASHO) HAS BEEN INTERESTED IN ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS TO HIGHWAY OPERATIONS FOR A GREAT MANY YEARS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS FOR HIGHWAY USES WILL BE EVOLVED OVER A LONG TIME PERIOD AND THAT IT WILL PROBABLY BE DONE IN STAGES. THE AASHO DOES NOT EDNORSE ANY PARTICULAR BRAND OR SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATIONS, BUT EXPECTS TO DEVELOP A UNIFORM PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION UNDER WHICH THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPETE AND SUPPLY THEIR PRODUCT. MONEY FOR HIGHWAYS IS VERY SHORT; THERE IS LESS THAN HALF THE MONEY AVAILABLE TO FINANCE THE NEEDS. THEREFORE, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS MUST TAKE ITS PLACE IN LINE WITH OTHER HIGHWAY IMPROVENTS ON A COST-BENEFIT-BASIS. THE USE OF EXISTING EMERGENCY FACILITIES VARIES WIDELY FROM PLACE TO PLACE, AS DOES THE APPORTIONMENT OF EMERGENCIES AMONG THE VARIOUS CAUSES. VANDALISM AND FALSE ALARM ALSO ARE NOT CONSTANT. IT IS GENERALLY PERFERRED THAT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS BE POINT-TO-POINT RATHER THAN BROADCASTED SO THAT THE CALLER IS PROTECTED FROM THOSE WHO WOULD PREY ON HIM. MOTORISTS PREFER SOME RESPONSE FROM THE CALLING SYSTEM SO THAT THEY KNOW UT HAS BEEN HEARD. POLICE AND OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICES PREFER SOME KIND OF VOICE COMMUNICATION SO THAT THE EMERGENCY CAN BE EXPLAINED. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO ANSWER ALL OF THE BASIC QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ANSWERED BEFORE EMBARKING ON THE INSTALLATION OF A NATIONWIDE STANDARDIZED EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 17, pp 3-6
• Authors:
  • Johnson, A E
• Publication Date: 1969-6

Media Info

• Serial:
  • TRAFFIC DIGEST AND REVIEW
  • Publisher: Northwestern University, Evanston

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communications; Disasters and emergency operations; Driver information systems; Electronic equipment; Hazards and emergency operations; Highways; Reviews
• Old TRIS Terms: Electronic devices; Vehicular communications
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225729
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Traffic Systems Reviews & Abstracts
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 15 1970 12:00AM