Intelligent vehicle highway systems: A mandate now—and for the future

The operation of large commercial vehicles, especially in congested urban environments, presents a different set of problems than that experienced by automobile drivers. The constraints of size, length, weight, height, and time provide additional challenges for the commercial driver. Vehicle communication and location monitoring are necessary to maximize productivity in a highly competitive marketplace. Commercial vehicle tracking and communication systems are enjoying spectacular growth, but a land navigation system for major urban areas is also needed. Future developments of other IVHS-related technologies, many listed in the following article, will contribute significantly to further productivity gains and should also contribute to a safer environment within which automobiles and large commercial vehicles can better coexist.