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In 2019, the number of deaths on European roads reached 22,800, with an additional 120,000 people suffering serious injuries. In this light, the European Commission’s ‘Vision Zero’ target of reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries to almost zero by 2050 seems extremely ambitious.

Research indicates that human error is the primary cause of 90% of all road accidents. This turns the European Commission into a big proponent of the upcoming digital technologies in road transportation: connectivity and automation.

This study investigates the new opportunities that connected and autonomous mobility offer for emergency service operations. Three complementary services for Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) are proposed to improve the safety of emergency vehicles and to reduce emergency response time.

The first two services were implemented in the microscopic traffic simulator SUMO. The effectiveness of these services was evaluated in a realistic morning and evening traffic scenario on the road network of the city center of Eindhoven. The first service, referred to as the Traffic Signal Priority Service (TSPS), prioritizes emergency services at signalized intersections by adjusting the traffic light cycle in favor of the emergency vehicle (EMV). The service is activated when an EMV reaches a specified distance from the intersection.

Results of the simulation showed that the optimal activation distance for the service was 800 m. In this configuration, a thirty seconds reduction of the response time was achieved for emergency routes within the city center. Meanwhile, the average speed of the other traffic participants decreased by 0.7%. Furthermore, this service removes the need for emergency services to violate red traffic lights, improving their safety significantly.

The Vehicle Rerouting Service (VRS) redirects other traffic participants away from the emergency route to reduce delays for the EMV in high-density traffic. This service achieved a similar reduction in emergency response time as the TSPS but had a greater impact on the average speed of the other traffic participants, which decreased by 13.8%.

The Maneuver Coordination Service was implemented as a ROS2 node and evaluated using the CARLA simulation environment and the autonomous driving stack of Autoware.auto. This service prioritizes emergency vehicles at unsignalized intersections in fully connected and autonomous traffic. When an approach ing vehicle transmits its priority request, the MCS determines an appropriate maneuver for all connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). Based on their distance with respect to the intersection and their current speed, the CAVs either receive the advice to stop in front of the intersection or pass the crossing before the EMV arrives.

The MCS was tested in scenarios with varying request ranges, vehicle speeds, and communication latency. The service was demonstrated to ensure safety when applied to scenarios with a single CAV and an appropriately sized request range. However, for scenarios involving multiple CAVs, the MCS should be extended to provide the EMV with an alternative trajectory. Additionally, it is crucial that autonomous vehicles have the ability to ensure their own safety in the event of a communication failure.

In summary, this study demonstrates that emergency services can definitely benefit from the introduction of connected and autonomous traffic. Customized services were found to effectively reduce response times and enhance road safety for emergency vehicles.

Co-funded by