The use of GSM data for transport safety management : an exploratory review

The consequences of traffic accidents are not only limited to road travellers (congestion, delays), but may also affect the area surrounding the incident, for instance, in the case of incidents involving release of chemical substances. A lack of a real-time assessment of the mobility consequences of an incident as well as of its consequences for the surrounding area hampers the decision makers ability to respond effectively to an incident and to manage its consequences. The main purpose of this paper is to provide a full picture of the mobility and area consequences of an incident in near real time by creating situation awareness for Incident Management actors. In particular, the study focuses on situation awareness for (1) mobility and how it is affected by an incident, (2) for the area surrounding the incident, and (3) for the site accessibility. The paper addresses information obtained from location-based services and pays particular attention to GSM data obtained from cellular phone networks. The advantages and limitations of the process of retrieving location information and proper transportation parameters from cellular phone network use are highlighted. After an overview of new opportunities of GSM data for incident and safety management, some illustrations of applications are briefly presented and discussed. The paper ends with concluding remarks. incident management; mobile phones; GSM network; situation awareness; context