ITS benefits

Italy is one of the European countries with the highest density of internal traffic which is distributed unevenly along with its entire transport network, with heavy externalities in terms of congestion, environmental pollution, and safety, and with high vulnerability to events, including punctual, of an exceptional kind. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) play a decisive role in the more efficient use of infrastructures, vehicles and logistics platforms and for the development of smart mobility.
The operation of the systems implemented so far, both at an urban and extra-urban level, has made it possible to tangibly evaluate the benefits provided by the ITS.

Experiences conducted in different countries, both in the United States and in Europe, show that the following results have been obtained in different applications:

• Reduction of travel times in the order of 20%
• Increase in network capacity by 5 ÷ 10%
• 10 ÷ 15% reduction in the number of accidents
• 15% reduction in congestion
• Reduction of polluting emissions by 10%
• Reduction of energy consumption by 12%

These benefits have been obtained in the face of relatively modest investments and, in any case, far lower than those necessary for the construction of new infrastructures. In a phase of evident contraction in growth, ITS solutions therefore make it possible to tackle many problems associated with mobility effectively and at low costs (Source: I Sistemi di trasporto intelligenti (ITS), in www.mit.gov.it/mit/site.php?p=cm&o=vd&f=cl&id_cat_org=37&id=1375, 13 aprile 2018).

It should also be noted that according to studies by the European Commission, every euro in ITS produces benefits for more than three euros, favoring the creation of new jobs.

Furthermore, a recent study carried out by ERTICO (association of companies operating in the European transport sector) in collaboration with Acea (association of European car manufacturers), calculated the sum of the percentages of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions deriving from the applications of the technologies of intelligent transport systems on heavy vehicles with a mass exceeding 3.5 t. The data that emerges from the Autopromotec Observatory’s processing of this study is considerable: -25% of carbon dioxide emitted.

As proof of the advantages that ITS can bring, in a logic of sustainable development, to the environment and to the improvement of efficiency, citizens’ safety and competitiveness, the Commission highlighted both in the 2001 White Paper “The European policy of transport up to 2010: the moment of choices “and in 2011” Roadmap towards a single European transport area – For a competitive and sustainable transport policy “, the role of ITS as a fundamental tool for achieving the objective of a fully integrated transport network. Therefore, an indispensable tool for the implementation of mobility policies.