Enhancing road safety: New technology provides travellers with public emergency warnings

The German Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) and members of the Traveller Information Services Association (TISA), namely ARD (NDR & WDR), bmt, GEWI, mecom, NNG, TomTom, and Teatownlake, have successfully concluded a trial, which provides public emergency warnings to travelers in real time

Bonn, Brussels, 28th September 2021: “This summer’s flooding catastrophes in Germany and the Benelux have made it absolutely clear that early and effective warnings can save lives,” said Teun Hendriks, TISA Technical and Standardisation Committee co-chair. “TISA has proven that TPEG Emergency Alerts and Warnings are an effective dissemination channel to inform travellers, who may not speak the local language, nor be familiar with the local geography and locations of towns, about various dangers, not only while driving, but also without the need to take their eyes off the road to look at their cell phone,” he concluded.

A part of the TPEG protocol family (ISO 21219-series), the TPEG Emergency Alerts and Warnings technology distributes official Emergency Alerts and Warnings as issued by public authorities and/or authorized agencies. Emergency Alerts and Warnings are typically issued to warn the general public of impending danger, for example fires, flooding, civil emergencies, severe weather, but also security hazards, or hostile acts.

TPEG-based distribution of Emergency Alerts and Warnings now provide alerts/warnings to travellers in a safe way while ensuring compatibility with both in-vehicle navigation systems, as in-vehicle digital radio receivers, and ensuring that messages are understandable also for non-native speakers who are residents and visitors from foreign countries. Now, emergency warnings can reach also travellers and stimulate those at risk to take action.

Image courtesy of NNG

The trial, conducted in Germany throughout 2021 and concluded in September, confirmed the effectiveness of the TPEG-based Emergency Alerts and Warnings protocol, which now will be submitted to ISO for world-wide standardisation.

More information about this trial (which was partially funded by the ISF project1) will be made exclusively available at the ITS World Congress between 11 and 15 October. TISA and its members will be present in hall B5, booths #5011 and #5012.
For a demonstration of TPEG2-EAW, book your time slot here

Click here to view the TISA Press Release.