1. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
1
Driver assistance systems utilising
cooperative intelligent transport
systems (C-ITS)
A preliminary feasibility analysis of a potential driver assistance
system that utilises Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-
ITS) in South East Queensland to alert automobiles of nearby
flooded roads and provide alternate routes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
George Higgins
Created in cooperation with
Queensland University of
Technology.
June 2015

2. 2
The
work
contained
in
this
project
report
has
not
been
previously
submitted
for
a
degree
or
diploma
at
any
other
tertiary
educational
institution.
To
the
best
of
my
knowledge
and
belief,
the
project
report
contains
no
material
previously
published
or
written
by
another
person
except
where
due
reference
is
made.
Signed
Date
5/6/15

3. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
3
Executive
Summary
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
utilised
by
driver
assistance
systems,
have
the
potential
to
greatly
improve
the
efficiency
and
safety
of
transportations
systems
and
road
networks
in
Queensland.
The
necessity
for
a
flood
warning
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
is
justified
by
the
unnecessary
amount
lives
lost
in
Queensland
from
floods
and
the
damage
floods
cause
to
the
efficiency
of
road
networks.
A
flood
warning
driver
assistance
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
will
one
day
mitigate
devastation
to
Queensland’s
roads
and
driver
safety,
however,
at
present
the
system
is
not
feasible
for
the
following
reasons:
• People
ignoring
warnings
and
driving
through
floodwater
• Insufficient
supporting
infrastructure
• Limitations
of
beacon
range
may
not
provide
drivers
adequate
time
to
avoid
flooded
road
The
following
recommendations
were
made
in
order
to
address
these
issues:
1. Increase
public
awareness
of
the
risks
associated
with
crossing
floodwaters
in
vehicles.
2. The
State
and
Federal
Governments
must
commit
to
build
more
intelligent
infrastructure
that
supports
the
outlook
of
the
automobile
industry,
to
provide
traffic
flow
alternate
routes
during
major
flood
events.
3. Continue
trialling
flood
warning
systems
currently
in
place
in
Australia,
in
order
to
improve
public
safety
and
road
efficiency
and
smoothen
the
transition
once
C-­‐ITS
is
widely
available.
As
such,
a
driver
assistance
system
that
utilises
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
in
South
East
Queensland
to
alert
automobiles
of
nearby
flooded
roads
and
provide
alternate
routes
for
drivers,
although
not
currently
feasible,
is
a
future
project
worth
developing.

4. 4
Table
of
Contents
Executive
Summary
................................................................................................
3
1.0
Introduction
..................................................................................................
6
1.1
Scope
................................................................................................................................................................
6
2.0
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
..................................
7
2.1
A
Changing
Industry
..................................................................................................................................
7
2.2
What
is
C-­‐ITS?
..............................................................................................................................................
7
2.3
C-­‐ITS
in
Australia
........................................................................................................................................
8
2.3
Safety
objectives
of
driver
assistance
and
C-­‐ITS
.........................................................................
10
2.4
Relation
to
the
project
scope
...............................................................................................................
11
3.0
Flooding
in
Queensland
..............................................................................
12
3.1
Historical
Data
...........................................................................................................................................
12
3.2
Effects
of
climate
change
on
flooding
..............................................................................................
14
3.3
Current
flood
warning
systems
..........................................................................................................
15
3.3
Impacts
of
flooding
on
transportation
systems
..........................................................................
18
2.4
Relation
to
the
project
scope
...............................................................................................................
19
4.0
Preliminary
System
Proposal
..........................................................................
20
4.1
Preliminary
conditions
and
problems
.............................................................................................
21
4.1.1
People
ignoring
warnings
and
driving
through
floodwaters
...........................................
21
4.1.2
Insufficient
supporting
infrastructure
........................................................................................
21
4.1.3
Limitations
of
beacon
range
may
not
provide
drivers
adequate
time
to
avoid
flooded
roads
.....................................................................................................................................................
22
4.2
Feasibility
.....................................................................................................................................................
22
4.3
Recommendations
...................................................................................................................................
23
5.0
Conclusion
......................................................................................................
24
References
...........................................................................................................
25

5. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
5
Table
of
Figures
Figure
1:
Autonomous
Vehicle
deployment
timeline
…7
Figure
2:
C-­‐ITS
implementation
Framework
…9
Figure
3:
Cumulative
Daily
Road
Toll,
Queensland
…10
Figure
4:
Causes
of
fatalities
in
Queensland
between
1900-­‐2011
…13
Figure
5:
Flooding
fatalities
for
Queensland
regions
between
1900-­‐2011
…14
Figure
6:
Components
of
a
flood
warning
system
…16
Figure
7:
VMS
in
WA
for
flood
warnings
…17

6. 6
1.0
Introduction
A
key
innovation
in
transportation
to
emerge
in
recent
years
has
been
the
arrival
of
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
that
provide
a
platform
for
direct,
wireless
communication
between
roadside
infrastructure
and
automobiles.
Driver
assistance
systems
that
utilise
C-­‐ITS
provide
a
number
of
innovative
solutions
to
transportation
problems
by
enabling
car
to
car
and
car
to
road
communication.
Austroads’
Cooperative
ITS
Strategic
Plan
(2012)
states
that
C-­‐ITS
“can
provide
real-­‐time
information
about
the
road
environment
with
an
increased
time
horizon
and
awareness
distance
that
is
beyond
both
what
in-­‐vehicle
technologies
(such
as
radars
and
cameras)
and
the
driver
can
visualise.”
Given
the
number
of
issues
that
can
arise
on
road
networks,
any
system
that
may
help
to
overcome
these
problems
should
be
analysed,
and
driver
assistance
systems
that
utilise
C-­‐ITS
are
one
such
solution.
1.1
Scope
Flooded
roads
have
caused
significant
damage
to
transportation
systems
and
road
networks
in
South
East
Queensland
(SEQ)
in
the
past,
which
in
turn
has
led
to
severe
disruptions
in
traffic
flow
and
unnecessary
losses
of
life.
Therefore,
the
feasibility
of
a
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
during
SEQ
floods
that
warns
drivers
in
real-­‐time
of
flooded
roads
in
their
vicinity,
is
worth
investigating.
Subsequently,
this
report
will
act
as
an
initial
analysis
of
the
current
condition
of
C-­‐ITS
in
Australia
and
evaluate
the
necessity
for
a
flood-­‐warning
driver
assistance
system.
This
analysis
will
be
based
upon
historical
data
and
future
predictions
of
flooding
in
Queensland,
and
the
need
to
act
upon
the
unnecessary
loss
of
life
attributed
to
people
driving
through
floodwaters.
Based
upon
these
findings,
the
report
will
then
determine
the
feasibility
of
implementing
a
system
given
the
current
conditions
in
SEQ,
and
put
forward
an
initial
project
approach
and
recommendations
for
further
development.

7. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
7
2.0
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
2.1
A
Changing
Industry
Current
predictions
suggest
that
within
the
next
30
years,
the
automobile
industry
will
undergo
huge
technological
steps
towards
intelligent,
autonomous
vehicles.
As
soon
as
five
years
from
now,
major
car
manufacturers
such
as
Tesla
and
Ford
predict
that
fully
autonomous
vehicles
will
be
available
to
the
public
in
certain
parts
of
the
world
that
adapt
the
required
supporting
infrastructure
(Driverless
Future,
2015).
Furthermore,
according
to
the
IEEE
(Institute
of
Electrical
and
Electronic
Engineers)
by
2040,
driverless,
intelligent
vehicles
will
make
up
70%
of
the
worlds
automobile
market
(Driverless
Future.
2015).
Figure
1:
Autonomous
Vehicle
deployment
timeline
(Ernst
&
Young,
2014).
Figure
1
above,
taken
from
an
Ernst
&
Young
publication
(2014)
titled
‘Deploying
Autonomous
Vehicles,’
supports
the
views
of
car
manufacturers
and
that
intelligent
infrastructure
networks
are
a
requirement
to
accommodate
smarter,
autonomous
vehicles.
2.2
What
is
C-­‐ITS?
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
provide
a
platform
for
direct,
wireless
communication
between
roadside
infrastructure
and
automobiles.
According
to
the
key
findings
of
an
ARRB
Group
investigation
into
the
Austroads’
C-­‐ITS
program
(Green
and
Ballingall,
2014),
the
objectives
of
Cooperative
ITS
are:
• To
improve
safety
• To
improve
productivity,
efficiency
and
environment
• To
provide
road
user
and
road
operator
services
The
applications
of
C-­‐ITS
are
numerous
and
provide
significant
potential
improvements
to
transportation
systems.
According
to
Frost
and
Sullivan

8. 8
(2010),
in
Europe,
the
United
States
and
Japan,
cooperative
systems
are
gaining
momentum
and
are
considered
to
be
the
next
big
wave
in
intelligent
transport
systems
(ITS).
Cooperative
systems
promise
to
deliver
near
accident-­‐free
and
efficient
road
systems
as
traffic
density
increases
worldwide.
Intelligent
transport
systems
are
already
making
a
difference
in
countries
around
the
world,
and
research
into
their
capabilities
making
headway.
According
to
Deakin,
Frick
and
Skabardonis
(2009)
from
the
University
of
California,
ITS
technologies
“are
already
making
travel
safer
and
more
environmentally
friendly
…and
new
applications
currently
under
development
have
the
potential
to
provide
significantly
enhanced
benefits.”
With
regards
to
safety,
vehicle
to
vehicle
(V2V)
and
vehicle
to
infrastructure
(V2I)
technologies
have
the
potential
to
prevent
a
significant
number
of
car
accidents.
Wall
and
Tyler
(2014)
published
an
article
in
the
Journal
of
the
Australasian
College
of
Road
Safety
that
concluded
16%
of
crashes
could
potentially
be
addressed
by
V2I
technology
and
more
than
50%
as
a
result
of
V2V
communication.
Such
advancements
in
safety
indicates
a
positive
outlook
for
C-­‐ITS
and
bodes
well
for
future
systems
in
Australia.
2.3
C-­‐ITS
in
Australia
Austroads
is
the
organisation
leading
the
push
to
bring
fully
integrated
C-­‐ITS
to
Australia
and
New
Zealand
and
published
a
report
in
2012
called
the
Cooperative
ITS
Strategic
Plan.
The
report
outlines
a
framework
for
C-­‐ITS
integration
in
Australia
with
emphasis
on
completing
the
following
steps
to
achieve
success.

9. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
9
C-­‐ITS
Framework
Policy
and
Regulation
Policy
requirements
for
initial
deployment
of
systems
in
Australia.
Spectrum
Management
Allocation
of
the
GHz
range
for
ITS
communication
in
terms
of
band
range.
5.9GHz
is
what
is
being
used
in
the
USA
&
Europe.
Technical
Standards
These
are
requirements
in
order
for
systems
to
be
standardised
across
the
country,
in
order
for
a
streamlined
service.
Platform
Requirements
The
technical
setting
that
enables
C-­‐ITS
applications
to
effectively
operate
in
accordance
with
global
standards
and
best
practices.
Operational
Arrangements
Functional
aspects
of
the
systems,
including
the
stakeholders
and
business
model
etc.
Trials
and
Demonstrations
Lastly,
trial
periods
must
be
allowed,
in
order
for
testing
and
adoption
by
the
public.
Figure
2:
C-­‐ITS
implementation
Framework
(Austroads,
2012).
A
flood-­‐warning,
driver
assistance
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
will
be
possible
for
extensive
integration
once
C-­‐ITS
is
widespread
in
Australia
by
adopting
this
framework.
The
CITI
project,
a
platform
for
ITS
research
and
development,
will
be
Australia’s
first
semi-­‐permanent
test
facility
for
cooperative
intelligent
transport
systems.
It
is
a
project
that
allows
ITS
research
for
a
longer
study
period
compared
to
many
other
projects
around
the
world.
According
to
Wall
and
Tyler
(2014),
C-­‐ITS
will
be
the
“silver
bullet”
for
road
safety
in
the
21st
Century
and
the
CITI
project
will

10. 10
provide
researchers
and
practitioners
the
platform
for
the
development
of
these
systems.
In
association
with
Austroads,
platforms
like
the
CITI
project
provides
a
positive
outlook
for
C-­‐ITS
in
Australia,
which
will
play
a
large
role
in
the
future
of
the
country’s
transportation
networks.
2.3
Safety
objectives
of
driver
assistance
and
C-­‐ITS
According
to
the
Queensland
Government
Department
of
Transport
and
Main
Roads
(TMR)
(2015),
between
1
January
and
31
May
2015,
98
fatalities
came
as
a
result
of
road
accidents
in
Queensland.
This
trend
has
been
steady
over
the
last
few
years
and
is
projected
to
continue
throughout
the
year
as
can
be
seen
in
the
graph
below.
Figure
3:
Cumulative
Daily
Road
Toll,
Queensland
(Queensland
Government
Department
of
Transport
and
Main
Roads,
2015).
The
graph
also
shows,
that
even
with
modern
safety
precautions
and
automobile
features,
crashes
still
occur
at
a
steady
rate.
This
is
reasoned
by
Ernst
&
Young
(2014),
which
have
found
that
95%
of
road
accidents
are
caused
due
to
human
error.
Driver
Assisted
systems
that
utilise
C-­‐ITS
have
the
potential
to
reduce
these
numbers
of
fatalities
and
accidents
by
a
significant
number
by
eliminating
the
threat
of
human
error.
This
is
because,
when
vehicle
to
vehicle,
and
vehicle
to
road
communication
is
possible,
every
vehicle
knows
exactly
where
all
others
are
and
puts
compromised,
human
judgement,
second.

11. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
1
1
The
ARRB
Group
investigation
into
the
Austroads’
C-­‐ITS
program
(2014),
with
the
aid
of
data
from
the
United
States
Department
of
Transport,
concluded
“82%
of
crashes
involving
unimpaired
drivers
could
‘potentially
be
addressed’
by
V2V
technology.”
Similar
findings
emerge
across
the
globe,
and
with
the
ever-­‐
expanding
capabilities
of
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
and
intelligent
automobiles,
the
number
of
accidents
over
time
will
significantly
decrease.
2.4
Relation
to
the
project
scope
In
Australia,
C-­‐ITS
is
in
its
infancy,
but
will
one
day
govern
the
vast
road
networks
and
transportation
systems
around
the
country.
Given
the
possibilities
for
C-­‐ITS
to
provide
safety
for
the
future
of
transportation,
the
purpose
of
this
report
developed
into
one
that
would
look
to
address
an
ongoing
safety
concern
in
SEQ
that
driver
assisted
systems
may
be
able
to
solve.
With
the
rate
of
innovation
of
Intelligent
Transport
Systems,
a
driver
assisted
system
that
utilises
C-­‐ITS
to
warn
drivers
of
flooded
roads,
would
be
an
extremely
valuable
safety
system.

12. 12
3.0
Flooding
in
Queensland
3.1
Historical
Data
Queensland
is
the
most
flood-­‐prone
state
in
Australia,
and
when
flooding
occurs,
the
devastation
can
affect
several
valuable
functions
of
society.
As
a
result
of
the
devastating
2010-­‐11
floods
that
inundated
much
of
the
state,
current
public
awareness
of
flooding
dangers
has
risen.
Risk
Frontiers
(2012)
prepared
a
report
for
the
Queensland
Government’s
Department
of
Community
Safety
titled
‘State-­‐wide
Natural
Disaster
Risk
Assessment
report’.
This
report
outlines
the
historical
significance
and
impact
of
natural
disasters
in
QLD
between
1900-­‐2011.
The
independent
research
centre
from
Macquarie
University
prepared
the
report
by
sourcing
data
from
a
comprehensive
national
database
of
historical
natural
disasters.
The
following
findings
were
taken
and
used
for
the
purposes
of
this
report.
• Flooding
and
tropical
cyclones
(including
storm
tide
and
cyclonic
winds)
are
Queensland’s
most
damaging
natural
hazards.
• These
two
hazards
combined
account
for
about
72%
of
all
building
damage
and
95%
of
all
hazard
fatalities
for
the
period
1900-­‐2011.
• Flooding
has
resulted
in
just
over
50%
of
all
historical
building
losses
and
43%
of
fatalities
in
Queensland.
• Most
flood
damage
(82%)
has
occurred
in
Southeast
and
North
Queensland.
From
these
findings,
it
is
clear
major
flooding
events
have
caused
significant
damage
to
Queensland
in
the
past.
The
number
of
fatalities
as
a
result
of
flooding
is
significant
as
seen
the
table
below
and
also
shows
how
much
more
devastating
flooding
has
been
compared
to
other
natural
disasters
Queensland
is
prone
to.

13. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
1
3
Disaster
Number
of
fatalities
(1900-­‐2011)
Tropical
cyclones,
winds
and
storm
tide
(can
sometimes
trigger
localised
flooding)
617
Flooding
513
Bushfire
22
Storm-­‐lightning,
thunderstorm
and
rain
15
Landslide
12
Tornado
6
Hail
3
Figure
4:
Causes
of
fatalities
in
Queensland
between
1900-­‐2011
(Risk
Frontiers,
2012).
The
number
of
fatalities
from
flood
events
is
substantially
larger
than
every
other
natural
disaster,
except
for
tropical
cyclones.
However,
with
progression
in
advanced
warning
systems
and
building
construction,
tropical
cyclones
have
taken
fewer
lives
than
flooding
between
1975
and
2011.
The
‘State-­‐wide
Natural
Disaster
Risk
Assessment
report’
concluded
that
between
1975-­‐2011,
140
lives
have
been
lost
as
a
result
of
flooding,
71
of
which
occurred
between
2000-­‐2011,
but
only
31
due
to
tropical
cyclones
(Risk
Frontiers,
2012).
This
is
a
significant
gap
between
the
two
fatality
rates,
and
shows
that
flood
mitigation
may
have
been
overlooked
comparatively
to
tropical
cyclone
warning
systems.
This
fact
supports
the
proposal
of
this
report
that
development
of
flood
warning
systems
must
be
delivered
in
order
to
lessen
the
damage
of
future
flood
events.
The
report
also
shows
that
the
damage
and
fatalities
from
flooding
also
varies
from
region
to
region.
The
following
table
was
taken
from
data
from
the
2012
State-­‐wide
Natural
Disaster
Risk
Assessment
report
(Risk
Frontiers,
2012)
and
shows
that
SEQ
and
Northern
QLD
are
the
most
prone
to
flooding
fatalities.

14. 14
1900-­‐2011
South
East
QLD
Central
QLD
Coast
North
QLD
Western
QLD
Flooding
fatalities
33.7%
(173)
13.1%
(67)
31.6%
(162)
21.6%
(111)
Figure
5:
Flooding
fatalities
for
Queensland
regions
between
1900-­‐2011
(Risk
Frontiers,
2012).
A
complimentary
fact
that
must
be
considered,
however,
is
that
the
areas
of
Queensland
that
have
been
more
developed
in
the
past
century,
have
also
sustained
more
damage.
This
is
because
there
are
more
buildings
and
roads
that
have
the
potential
to
be
flooded
and
damaged
comparatively
to
other
regions
of
Queensland.
However,
this
Government
Department
report
does
prove
that
SEQ
and
Northern
QLD
are
the
most
suitable
locations
within
the
state
to
test
for
flood
warning
systems,
given
the
greater
affect
flooding
has
in
these
regions.
From
this,
it
is
clear
that
development
of
more
effective
and
extensive
flood
warning
systems
are
necessary
in
order
to
reduce
the
number
of
fatalities
from
flooding
in
Queensland.
3.2
Effects
of
climate
change
on
flooding
The
World
Wide
Fund
for
Nature
(WWF)
(2015)
supports
the
statement
that,
although
not
the
only
factor,
climate
change
will
affect
future
flood
patterns.
On
their
website
it
stated
that
major
flooding
that
used
to
only
happen
once
in
100
years
is
currently
taking
place
every
10
or
20
years
(WWF,
2015).
This
is
worrying
for
many
reasons,
but
in
Australia,
the
consequences
will
be
comparatively
worse
given
the
susceptibility
of
the
country
to
the
effects
of
climate
change.
In
Australia,
the
impact
of
climate
change
will
have
an
affect
on
future
flood
events.
An
article
published
in
The
Australian
in
January
2015
(Jones,
2015)
stated
that
a
team
of
international
scientists
led
by
Wenju
Cai
of
CSIRO,
has
found
that
“extreme
La
Nina
phases
would
occur
every
13
years
as
the
planet
warmed
against
a
past
frequency
of
only
once
every
23
years.”
La
Nina
events
bring
floods
to
the
east
coast
of
Australia,
and
if
the
frequency
of
severe
events

15. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
1
5
increases,
the
region
is
expected
to
see
twice
as
many
severe
floods
in
the
next
century
comparatively
to
the
last.
In
Queensland,
according
to
the
Office
of
the
Queensland
Chief
Scientist
(2015),
climate
change
is
likely
to
affect
flood
patterns
in
the
future
as
average
rainfalls
in
South-­‐East
Queensland
are
projected
to
increase
in
summer
and
decrease
in
winter.
Furthermore,
with
regards
to
short-­‐period
rainfall
events,
an
Intergovernmental
Panel
on
Climate
Change
recently
determined
that
“it
was
likely
such
heavy
precipitation
events
would
become
more
frequent
over
most
land
areas”
(Office
of
the
Queensland
Chief
Scientist,
2015).
This
in
turn
would
lead
to
an
increase
in
the
risk
of
flooding,
especially
the
more
dangerous
flash
flooding
events
that
are
harder
to
plan
for.
As
dire
as
these
findings
seem,
the
Office
of
the
Queensland
Chief
Scientist
does
state
that
appropriate
urban
design
and
integrated
water
management
can
reduce
the
severity
of
flood
events.
They
also
state
that
emerging
technologies
can
and
will
improve
the
ability
to
predict
and
manage
flood
events,
such
as
driver
assistance
systems.
3.3
Current
flood
warning
systems
As
a
result
of
the
2010-­‐11
Queensland
floods,
flood-­‐warning
systems
that
help
to
mitigate
devastation
have
become
a
necessity.
The
figure
below
was
created
by
the
Office
of
the
Queensland
Chief
Scientist
and
shows
the
procedure
of
an
effective
flood
warning
system.

16. 16
The
stage
of
‘Warning
Communication’
above
is
where
the
proposed
driver
assistance
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
would
be
an
extension
of,
and
would
streamline
the
process
directly
to
vehicles.
Flood
warning
systems
for
vehicles
on
the
road
are
currently
in
place
across
Queensland
and
Australia,
with
ongoing
developments
being
tested
and
incorporated.
In
Western
Australia
(WA),
the
Western
Australian
Department
of
Main
Roads
(2014),
currently
has
in
place
warning
systems
that
use
Variable
Message
Signs
(VMS),
CCTV
cameras,
water
height
gauges
and
communication
systems.
Real-­‐
time
information
on
flood
conditions
is
communicated
to
the
Traffic
Operations
Centre
where
road
status
information
is
then
transmitted
and
displayed
on
the
Figure
6:
Components
of
a
flood
warning
system
(Office
of
the
Queensland
Chief
Scientist,
2015).

17. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
1
7
VMS,
detailing
the
road
accessibility.
However,
given
the
size
of
WA
and
the
remote
locations
of
the
signs,
both
implementation
and
operation
for
the
road
systems
is
challenging,
and
thus
ongoing
improvements
for
the
systems
are
needed.
The
image
below
is
a
picture
of
a
VMS
in
place
in
the
Kimberly
region
of
WA
as
an
example.
Figure
7:
VMS
in
WA
for
flood
warnings
(Western
Australian
Department
of
Main
Roads,
2014).
In
Toowoomba,
where
flooding
was
disastrous
in
2010-­‐11,
when
water
levels
in
the
city’s
creeks
are
likely
to
reach
a
level
of
flooding
that
could
close
roads,
a
flood
early
warning
system
has
been
developed
to
provide
advanced
warning.
According
to
the
Toowoomba
Regional
Council
(2015),
these
alerts
of
imminent
flooding
are
transmitted
to
the
city’s
emergency
services,
which
allows
for
better
management
of
such
situations.
In
northern
Queensland,
where
flood
events
have
proven
to
be
disastrous
in
the
past,
the
Queensland
Department
of
Transport
and
Main
Roads
(2015)
with
RACQ
are
trialing
automated
flood-­‐warning
systems
using
river
height
gauges.
The
system
alerts
district
officers
and
traffic
managers
via
email
and
SMS
of
flood
warnings
so
appropriate
responses
can
be
made.

18. 18
Although
these
systems
are
steps
in
the
right
direction,
a
fully
functioning
C-­‐ITS
flood
warning
system
for
driver
assistance
is
where
the
future
is
heading.
Assuming
the
trials
in
North
Queensland
are
successful,
by
using
river
height
gauges
along
with
C-­‐ITS,
driver
assistance
systems
would
not
require
as
extensive
initial
intelligent
infrastructure
as
other
proposed
intelligent
transport
systems.
3.3
Impacts
of
flooding
on
transportation
systems
The
disruption
caused
to
transportation
networks
in
Queensland
during
flood
events
can
be
extensive
and
severe.
The
Queensland
Government
Department
of
Transport
and
Main
Roads
(2015),
states
that
road
closures
are
essential
while
flood
waters
cover
the
road
for
road
user
safety
and
to
avoid
sustaining
further
damage.
Sometimes,
road
closures
are
extended
in
duration
after
the
water
recedes
because
of
factors
such
as
sections
of
road
eroding
away
and
debris
left
behind.
(Queensland
Government
Department
of
Transport
and
Main
Roads,
2015).
The
roads
are
then
not
re-­‐opened
until
assessments
have
taken
place,
sometimes
resulting
in
isolation
for
remote
communities
and
traffic
chaos
in
the
cities.
This
need
for
ensuring
the
conditions
of
roads
after
flooding
are
adequate,
only
increases
the
number
of
problems
caused
by
flooding
on
transportation
systems.
However,
impairing
the
efficiency
of
transport
networks
is
a
relatively
insignificant
consequence
of
flooding
compared
to
the
problems
associated
with
driver
safety.
An
article
published
by
The
Conversation
in
January
2013
(Burke,
2013)
when
extensive
flooding
was
occurring
wrote,
“people
do
terribly
dangerous
things
when
they
need
to
get
from
one
place
to
another.”
In
the
week
this
article
was
published,
two
people
lost
their
lives
crossing
swollen
creeks
in
their
vehicles.
Another,
more
damning
example,
was
produced
by
the
Queensland
Government’s
Flood
Commission
(2011),
which
issued
a
report
into
the
circumstances
of
the
deaths
during
the
2010-­‐11
floods.
They
found
that
“almost

19. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
1
9
a
quarter
of
the
deaths
in
Queensland
during
the
2010/2011
floods
occurred
while
people
were
trying
to
drive
through
floodwaters
on
roads
or
causeways”
(Queensland
Government’s
Flood
Commission,
2011).
They
went
on
to
state,
“in
some
instances,
the
lack
of
information
about
road
conditions
ahead
may
have
been
a
factor
in
the
decision
to
attempt
to
drive
through
floodwaters,
although
in
other
cases,
warning
signs
seem
to
have
been
disregarded”
(Queensland
Government’s
Flood
Commission,
2011).
This
compounds
the
need
for
more
advanced
warning
systems
in
place,
especially
for
inexperienced
drivers
approaching
swelling
creeks.
However,
given
some
people
still
took
the
risk
to
cross
even
with
sufficient
warnings
in
place,
it
is
evident
more
must
be
done
to
change
people’s
attitude
toward
the
risk
of
crossing
floodwaters.
2.4
Relation
to
the
project
scope
Flooding
in
Queensland
is
a
serious
issue
and
one
that
has
the
potential
to
cause
vast
devastation
to
road
networks,
logistics
efficiency
and
human
lives.
Having
discussed
both
the
capabilities
of
C-­‐ITS
and
the
need
for
more
extensive
flood
warning
systems
in
Queensland,
a
driver
assistance
system
that
utilises
the
capabilities
of
C-­‐ITS
to
warn
drivers
in
real
time
of
flooded
roads,
would
be
an
extremely
valuable
asset
to
the
future
of
driver
safety

20. 20
4.0
Preliminary
System
Proposal
From
what
has
been
evaluated
with
regards
to
the
future
prospects
of
C-­‐ITS
and
the
damage
flood
events
can
cause
in
Queensland,
the
proposal
for
a
driver
assistance
flood-­‐warning
system
has
been
justified.
Having
discussed
the
necessity
for
such
a
system,
an
initial
proposal
about
how
the
system
would
operate
has
been
created.
Process
of
the
flood
warning
system:
1. The
Bureau
of
Meteorology
would
issue
flood
warnings
as
per
current
operations,
and
the
driver
assistance
system
would
work
as
an
extension.
2. Smart
river
gauges
along
certain
sections
of
roads
vulnerable
to
flooding
would
measure
heights
of
floodwaters,
and
judge
whether
or
not
the
road
will
subsequently
flood
based
upon
the
rate
of
the
water’s
rise.
3. Dedicated
Short
Range
Communications
(DSRC)
beacons
situated
near
the
flooded
roads
would
then
transmit
this
data
via
the
standardised
5.9GHz
frequency
to
all
nearby
enabled
smartphones
and
navigation
systems,
to
warn
of
real-­‐time
flooding
events.
4. The
drivers
would
then
be
informed
in
real-­‐time
of
the
current
status
of
nearby
roads
and
either
plan
a
different
route
for
themselves,
or
allow
the
enabled
navigation
systems
to
advise
an
alternate
route.
5. This
process
would
then
work
to
mitigate
traffic
flow
and
create
a
safer
environment
for
drivers.
Though
this
initial
proposal
of
a
C-­‐ITS
is
appealing
in
theory,
before
taking
the
idea
on
as
a
realistic
project,
an
analysis
of
the
conditions
at
present
in
SEQ
must
first
be
conducted.

21. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
2
1
4.1
Preliminary
conditions
and
problems
The
preliminary
problems
associated
with
the
system
are
centred
on
the
current
conditions
of
the
C-­‐ITS
environment
in
SEQ
rather
than
the
technical
complications
of
the
system.
For
the
purpose
of
this
report,
three
key
and
problems
will
be
addressed
and
the
later
technical
issues
of
the
system
will
be
ignored.
This
is
because
the
following
problems
must
first
be
addressed
before
even
approaching
the
technical
thought
process
of
the
system’s
development.
4.1.1
People
ignoring
warnings
and
driving
through
floodwaters
As
was
discussed
earlier
in
the
report,
people
will
cross
floodwaters
in
their
vehicles
if
it
means
avoiding
a
lengthy
diversion
route.
The
attitude
of
drivers
around
floodwaters
must
change,
and
the
very
presence
of
the
Queensland
Government’s
“If
it’s
flooded,
forget
it”
campaign
suggests
drivers
still
feel
confident
ignoring
warnings
(Watson,
2015).
As
stated
earlier
in
the
report
with
regards
to
the
Queensland
Government’s
Flood
Commission
findings,
while
a
quarter
of
the
deaths
of
the
2010-­‐11
floods
happened
while
people
were
trying
to
drive
through
floodwaters,
in
some
cases,
warning
signs
were
present
yet
still
ignored.
As
such,
if
the
purpose
of
implementing
a
driver
assistance
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
is
to
ensure
driver
safety
during
flood
events,
then
first
changing
people’s
perception
of
risk
when
approaching
floodwaters
must
be
addressed.
4.1.2
Insufficient
supporting
infrastructure
If
an
intelligent
flood
warning
system
were
to
be
implemented
today
it
would
fail
as
a
result
of
the
insufficient
number
of
roads
and
supporting
infrastructure.
On
Friday
the
1st
of
May
2015,
a
low-­‐pressure
system
dumped
large
quantities
of
water
on
SEQ
in
a
three-­‐hour
period
during
afternoon
peak
hour
traffic.
This
resulted
in
flooded
roads
across
the
region,
severing
of
major
road
networks
and
causing
huge
delays,
as
well
as
the
loss
of
5
lives.
Even
with
a
driver
assistance
C-­‐
ITS
in
place,
the
traffic
jams
would
still
have
occurred
given
the
lack
of
roads
and
supporting
infrastructure.
As
such,
before
implementing
a
driver
assistance
C-­‐
ITS
that
can
reorganise
traffic
flow
during
flood
events,
the
Queensland
Government
must
commit
to
building
more
roads
that
can
act
as
necessary
alternate
routes.

22. 22
4.1.3
Limitations
of
beacon
range
may
not
provide
drivers
adequate
time
to
avoid
flooded
roads
Being
a
real-­‐time
flood
warning
system,
drivers
already
on
the
road
but
not
near
flood
waters
before
setting
off,
will
be
irritated
if
only
when
they
reach
the
vicinity
of
a
flooded
road
will
they
be
notified.
For
many
drivers,
if
they
knew
that
further
along
their
route,
a
flooded
road
would
cause
delays,
they
may
not
set
off
at
all
in
the
first
place.
This
is
a
relevant
problem,
because
if
a
warning
is
only
issued
within
a
certain
range
of
the
beacons
located
at
the
flooded
roads,
then
people
may
feel
annoyed
enough
to
risk
crossing
the
road
when
they
reach
it
anyway.
As
such,
the
system
would
have
to
extend
a
warning
during
flood
events
that
asks
a
driver
before
they
set
off
about
their
desired
route.
If
a
flooded
road
clashes
with
the
route,
a
warning
should
be
issued,
much
like
many
of
the
current
flood
warning
systems
in
place.
Therefore,
in
order
for
a
driver
assistance
system
such
as
this
to
be
developed
further,
cooperation
must
exist
between
current
flood
warnings
issued
by
the
Bureau
of
Meteorology
and
this
C-­‐
ITS.
4.2
Feasibility
As
a
result
of
examining
the
preliminary
problems
associated
with
the
driver
assistance
system
in
question,
it
is
clear
that
at
present,
it
is
not
feasible
to
implement
the
system.
Given
the
current
conditions
of
C-­‐ITS
in
Australia,
implementing
a
flood-­‐warning
system
would
be
a
waste
of
resources.
This
is
not
to
say
that
the
idea
of
such
a
system
will
not
be
feasible
in
the
future,
because
of
the
rate
of
C-­‐ITS
growth
and
the
justification
for
the
system’s
necessity.
Rather,
that
at
present,
SEQ
does
not
have
the
required
infrastructure,
advancement
in
ITS
and
population
mindset
of
avoiding
floodwaters
that
is
required.
Furthermore,
until
widespread
integration
of
C-­‐ITS
and
intelligent
automobiles
in
Australia
is
achieved,
the
strategy
of
implementing
a
driver
assistance
system
should
focus
on
solving
the
current
conditions
in
SEQ
first.
This
is
not
to
say
trials
of
driver
assistance
systems
should
not
be
undertaken,
nor
that
current
work
on
trialling
flood-­‐warning
systems
should
be
abandoned.
Simply
that
at
present,
widespread
integration
of
such
a
driver
assistance
system
is
not
feasible.

23. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
2
3
4.3
Recommendations
The
following
recommendations
have
been
made
based
on
the
need
to
overcome
the
current
situation
in
SEQ
that
is
hindering
implementation
of
a
much
needed
flood
warning
driver
assistance
C-­‐ITS.
1. The
State
and
Federal
Governments
of
Australia
must
spend
more
resources
raising
awareness
in
flood
prone
areas
of
the
dangers
associated
with
driving
through
floodwaters.
There
will
always
be
a
small
percentage
of
people
who
will
take
the
risk,
but
given
the
current
unfeasibility
of
the
driver
assistance
system,
more
must
be
done
at
present
in
forming
policy.
2. South
East
Queensland’s
infrastructure
capabilities
must
be
enhanced
to
allow
for
changes
in
traffic
conditions
because
of
flood
events.
It
should
be
at
the
forefront
of
public
sector
support,
that
flood
mitigation
in
Queensland
is
currently
not
only
inefficient
but
unnecessarily
dangerous.
Without
embracing
the
capabilities
of
C-­‐ITS
and
aligning
the
public
mindset
with
that
of
the
automobile
industry,
driver
assistance
systems
will
suffer
greatly,
and
during
flood
events
there
will
continue
to
be
traffic
delays
and
unnecessary
deaths.
3. The
third
recommendation
is
to
continue
trialling
and
developing
the
flood
warning
systems
currently
in
place
in
order
to
advance
research
and
development.
Then,
once
a
driver
assistance
system
utilising
C-­‐ITS
during
flood
events
is
feasible,
the
transition
between
current
capabilities
and
future
systems
will
benefit.
It
is
up
to
ventures
of
the
CITI
Project,
State
Government
Departments
and
private
contractors
to
one
day
provide
the
capabilities
of
a
future
transportation
network
that
is
not
only
efficient
but
also
keeps
drivers
safe.

24. 24
5.0
Conclusion
Flood
events
cause
widespread
damage
to
South
East
Queensland
road
networks
and
transportation
systems.
With
the
capabilities
of
C-­‐ITS
and
the
support
for
widespread
implementation
in
Australia,
driver
assistance
systems
utilising
C-­‐
ITS
will
provide
safer
and
more
efficient
road
networks.
The
proposal
of
a
flood-­‐warning
driver
assistance
system
that
operates
utilising
C-­‐ITS
is
not
currently
feasible
in
Queensland
given
the
current
conditions
of
the
State’s
infrastructure
and
supporting
road
networks.
However,
this
report
has
justified
the
need
for
the
system
based
upon
the
effects
flooding
can
have
on
road
networks
and
the
loss
of
life
as
a
consequence
in
Queensland.
Although,
with
the
recommendations
provided,
the
system
will
be
feasible
in
the
future
because
the
initial
conditions
of
implementing
such
a
system
will
have
been
met.
As
such,
a
driver
assistance
system
that
utilises
Cooperative
Intelligent
Transport
Systems
(C-­‐ITS)
in
South
East
Queensland
to
alert
automobiles
of
nearby
flooded
roads
and
provide
alternate
routes
for
drivers,
although
not
currently
feasible,
is
a
future
project
worth
developing.
This
is
because
of
the
potential
of
the
system,
and
those
like
it
that
utilise
C-­‐ITS,
to
save
lives
on
the
road
and
provide
a
better
future
for
all
motorists.

25. DRIVER
ASSISSTANCE
SYSTEMS
UTILISING
C-­‐ITS
2
5
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