Digitization of traffic regulations as a game changer

Stakeholder consultation on ESTRAL was a great success

Road traffic regulations have always been published in a legally binding manner almost exclusively through traffic signs and floor markings. In the age of digitization, there is an increasing need for this information to be available in digital services such as navigation systems, apps, etc. in a legally binding and reliable manner. Furthermore also automated vehicles will want to rely on such information.

That's what we have been working on at PRISMA as part of ESTRAL* since autumn 2023. Practical concepts for the digital regulation of traffic measures are being developed in a top-class interdisciplinary project consortium** made up of technicians and lawyers, representatives of administration and service providers, science and business. One of the first goals is to find ways how future road users will only receive the information that is relevant to their current situation.

To ensure the practical suitability of the concept, stakeholders from outside the project team are also involved. The first stakeholder consultation took place on April 23, 2024 as part of the ITS Austria Legal Working Group*** and was a complete success: around 50 participants were not only informed about the current status of the project, but also actively participated in the discussion. The community agrees: with this project we are entering completely new territory - not only in Austria, but also across Europe. And we as PRISMA solutions are definitely taking a leading role!

You are interested in the topic and want to find out more about ESTRAL or our other activities in this area? Let us know!

*ESTRAL (Ecological and Safe TRAffic systems by digitizing Law) is an R&D service for zero emission mobility as part of the “Digital Transformation in Mobility 2022” call for proposals from the Climate and Energy Fund, financed by the Climate Protection Ministry (BMK).

** Projektkonsortium ESTRAL: PRISMA solutions (project leader), ASFINAG, FH Oberösterreich, Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit, Land Niederösterreich, Salzburg Research, Sigmund Freud PrivatUniversität, Verkehrsauskunft Österreich.

***The working group on legal aspects of digitalization in mobility (AG2) of ITS Austria, led by BMK with the support of AustriaTech, aims to actively contribute to achieving the goals of the BMK's Mobility Master Plan 2030.