Could fleet tracking data help improve Britain's road congestion?

Fleet tracking is something that is normally reserved for big businesses looking for the most efficient ways of transporting their goods around. However, there is a case for a similar method being used to try and improve issues with congestion on roads in Britain. Many people complain on a daily basis about the state of traffic on the roads so could fleet tracking be the solution?

Traffic issues

The traffic on the roads of Britain today is thought to be more than ever. Figures taken at the end of 2012 showed there to be 34.5 million vehicles in Britain. When you try and comprehend that amount of vehicles on the roads at any given time, it's easy to see why there is so much traffic.

On top of that, many people work similar hours and the schools all start at roughly the same time each day. Consequently, there are certain times of the day when traffic is going to be inevitable. Everyone is trying to get to the same place at the same time, every single day. All the alternative routes are being used so there appears to simply be no escape from the congestion.

Tracking

Some companies have fleet tracking software fitted to their vehicles so that they can see where they are at any given point of the day. As a result, if one of the drivers is stuck in a heavily congested zone, the company can redirect other drivers to a different route so that they don't have to deal with the same problem.

The Highways Agency has been using data tracked from the satellite navigation devices and mobile phones to see where motorists are going and when. While this has raised concerns about privacy, there is also a strong argument for the data being used to crack down on congestion. Once the data has been collected, diversions and updates can then be created so that motorists can avoid heavily congested areas or are given some notice about an upcoming danger.

Benefits

While there is some unease about how much data is being collected from motorists, the benefits could far outweigh this worry. Being able to give motorists more advanced warnings about things like accidents could ease the congestion. It may mean that if people are aware that there will be trouble further down the road, they will adjust their route accordingly and so a congested environment will not exist.

Of course, this won't remove all trace of congestion, particularly at rush hour but it may help to ease things in high priority areas. With the number of cars on the road only set to increase over the years, something needs to be done to avoid huge traffic jams from occurring. With some roads like the M25 thought to be much higher risk than others, the Highways Agency needs to take drastic action to avoid tailbacks that stretch on for miles. While the saving of data from vehicles might not be the most ethical method, if the Highways Agency actively asked motorists to get involved in a data collection scheme, they may be able to improve the roads and help drive down the problems in congested areas.

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