Communications and Network, 2018, 10, 43-50

http://www.scirp.org/journal/cn
ISSN Online: 1947-3826
ISSN Print: 1949-2421

ICT Devices: Vital Tools for

Enhancing Road Traffic
Monitoring

Emmanuel Nwabueze Ekwonwune1*, Nwachukwu Catherine Ada Ngozi2,

Osuagwu Oliver Eberechi1

Department of Computer Science, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria

1

Department of Computer Science, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Nigeria

2

How to cite this paper: Ekwonwune, E.N.,

Abstract
Ngozi, N.C.A. and Eberechi, O.O. (2018)
ICT Devices: Vital Tools for Enhancing Road Traffic monitoring involves the collection of data describing the charac-
Road Traffic Monitoring. Communications
teristic of vehicles and their movement through road networks. Such data may
and Network, 10, 43-50.
https://doi.org/10.4236/cn.2018.103004 be used for one of these purposes such as law enforcement, congestion and
incident detection and increasing road capacity. Transportation is a require-
Received: March 19, 2018 ment for every nation regardless of its economy, political stability, population
Accepted: July 10, 2018
size and technological development. Movement of goods and people from one
Published: July 13, 2018
place to another is crucial to maintain strong economic and political ties be-
Copyright © 2018 by authors and tween the various components of any given nation among nations. However,
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
there are different modes of transportation and the most paramount one to
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International human beings is road transportation. Due to increase in the modes of trans-
License (CC BY 4.0). portation, road users encounter different problems such as road blockage and
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ incidents. Therefore there is need to monitor users incidents and to know the
Open Access
causes. Road traffic monitoring can be done manually or using ICT devices.
This paper focuses on how the use of ICT devices can enhance road traffic
monitoring. It traces the brief history of transportation; it equally discussed
road traffic and safety, tools for monitoring road traffic, Intelligent Transpor-
tation Systems (ITS) use for traffic monitoring and their benefits. The result
shows that the use of ICT devices in road traffic monitoring should be a Mil-
lennium Goal for all developed and developing countries because of its nu-
merous advantages in the reduction of the intensity of traffic and other road
incidents.

Keywords
Transportation, Traffic, Monitoring, Devices, Camera, Surveillance

DOI: 10.4236/cn.2018.103004 Jul. 13, 2018 43 Communications and Network

E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

1. Introduction
The history of transportation is rich and evolving. Just like the computer, tech-
nological innovations have increased the speed and safety of transportation.
Advances in technology have allowed people to travel further, explore more ter-
ritory, and expand their influence over larger and larger areas. Even in ancient
times, new tools and inventions increased the distances that one could travel.
Discoveries such as foot coverings, skis, and snowshoes were example of trans-
portation tools which aided transportation in ancient times. These discoveries,
innovations and inventions were applied to transport problems, which as you
may have guessed right, decreased travel time and increased the ability to move
and cover longer distances as well as carry larger loads. These innovations did
not stop and neither did they occur only in ancient times, in the present world
the innovations continues as transport researchers are working constantly to
identify new ways to reduce costs and increase transport efficiency and safety.
Transportation by definition is defined as the movement of people, animals
and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail,
road, water, cable, pipeline and space. From the definition, the basic importance
of transportation is movement while for human beings, it is not just for move-
ment rather movement with benefit. The benefit can be for trade, or getting to a
place as quickly as possible in emergency situations, moving heavy loads from
one location to another, creating jobs, generating revenues and many more ben-
efits you can think of. Transportation is a requirement for every nation regard-
less of its industrial capacity, political stability, population, size or technological
development. Moving goods and people from one place to another is crucial to
maintain strong economic and political ties between the various components of
any given nation and among nations. How that movement takes place can be
unique to location and technological development, but the most reliable and
widely embraced means of transportation is road [1].
Before every other form of transportation, both humans and animals travelled
on foot (animals can now be transported in other forms of transportation
created by humans). However, through domestication and the use of tools, hu-
man beings learned to use animals such as horses, camels and donkeys for
transportation. The wheel was invented in Iraq in 3500 BC, and was made from
wood. For water transportation, a canoe-like structure was built by burning log
and digging out the burned wood while the Egyptians invented the sailing boat
in 3100 BC. The Romans built roads across Europe. Good roads, good architec-
ture and good sewage ways. They (The Romans) were really that good. During
the industrial revolution, the first modern highway was developed by John Lou-
don McAdam [2]. He achieved this by using inexpensive paving material of soil
and stone aggregate and he also embanked roads a few feet higher than the sur-
rounding terrain to cause water to drain away from the surface.
In the 17th and 18th century, many new modes of transportation were invented.
Examples of these inventions are bicycles, trains, motor cars, trucks, airplanes

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 E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

and trams. The first car was developed with an internal combustion engine and
this happened in the year 1960. The invention of the internal combustion engine
became the bases for the development of other types of transportation systems
like airplanes, trains, boats and other automobiles. With the development of
motor transport, there was increased need for hard-topped roads to reduce wash
away, bogging and dust on both urban and rural roads, originally using cobbles-
tones and wooden paving in major western cities and in the early 20th century
tar-bound tarmac and concrete paving were extended into the countryside [3].
Road transportation is the most widely used means of transportation in all
countries generally and Nigeria in particular due to its affordability. Because of
its contribution to national growth, various measures and devices had been and
are being developed to enhance its continuity, sustainability and safety. Geospa-
tial technology is an electronic system for capturing, storing, retrieval, analyzing
and displaying data related to positions on the earth. Due to increase in the
modes of transportation road users encounter different problems such as road
blockage and incidents. Therefore there is need to monitor users incidents and
to know the causes. However, this paper will X-ray ICT devices as vital tools for
enhancing road traffic to ensure easy location of vehicles and incidents on roads.

2. Theoretical Review
The paper is centered on those vital ICT devices that will enhance road traffic
monitoring, but before delving into the topic let us look at the word traffic. Ac-
cording to the [4], traffic is defined as the number of vehicles moving along
roads, or the amount of aircraft, trains, or ships moving along a route. Traffic is
defined as vehicles or people in the vehicles, a delay that involves transportation
or movement through a designated location. Examples of traffic are people
driving in cars, a heavy delay in a rail road system and how many hits a website
gets daily. It can also be defined as the passage of people or vehicles along routes
of transportation.
Therefore, Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded ani-
mals, vehicles, streetcars, buses and other conveyances, either singly or together,
while using the public way for purposes of travel [5]. As world population con-
tinues to increase and automobile manufacturers are still in business, definitely
the number of vehicle road users will increase. Vehicles which are used for road
transportation will need access roads where they will be driven. The question
now becomes, what happens when almost all road users are travelling on one
route? Your guess is as good as mine, there will be congestion. Almost all the
road users will be competing for space, and because there may be no alternative
route, the traffic creates a gridlock which in turn results in other possible road
incidents like crime and accidents. To minimize the possibility of such even
playing out, a lot of factors must be put into consideration.

2.1. Road Traffic Safety

Safety is the state of being “safe” (from French sauf), the condition of being

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E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes. Safety can also refer to
the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Road traffic safety involves methods and measures for reducing the risk of death
and injury on roads. The following measures can be taken to ensure road safety.
1) Create alternative routes. The key factor will be to create as many alterna-
tive routes as possible.
2) Employ traffic wardens. Another factor can also be the employment of traf-
fic personnel to monitor and control traffic.
3) Laws can also be put in place to regulate and prosecute traffic offenders as
well as instruct that special vehicles like trucks travel through a dedicated route
because of their size.
4) Sidewalks, curbs and traffic signals should be installed on the roads.
5) Speed limits should be observed in different areas, a recommended limit
should be specified for different types of roads.
6) Installation of Variable Message Sign to guide traffic in motorways.
7) Vehicles experiencing a breakdown or another emergency can stop in the
emergency lane.
Road traffic crashes are one of the world’s largest public health and injury
prevention problems. The problem is all the more acute because the victims are
overwhelmingly healthy before their crashes. According to the World Health
Organization, more than one million people are killed on the world’s roads each
year. A report published by the WHO in 2004 estimated that some 1.2 million
people were killed and 50 million injured in traffic collisions on the roads
around the world each year [6].
[7] stated that while there is a growing need for highway traffic monitoring,
the problems in this area are not appreciated by the general public. In his opi-
nion, the maintenance of existing infrastructure in a safe condition is dependent
on traffic monitoring because road infrastructure will be difficult to maintain if
there is no record and understanding of how highways are used.

2.2. Tools Use for Road Traffic Monitoring

Monitoring is the act of observing and checking the progress or quality of
(something) over a period of time; keep under systematic review. Since it has
now become obvious that road accidents occur on road. Effective monitoring of
road activities and users can be used ensure the safety of road users. Before the
introduction of devices which aid in traffic monitoring, traffic monitoring and
control has been the responsibility of the police, traffic wardens and other traffic
monitoring agencies. The introduction of Information Communication Tech-
nology (ICT) into road traffic monitoring will improve the efficiency of human
road traffic monitors and ensure the safety of road users. [1] stated that there are
lots of factors which are responsible for the increase of road transport. Some of
the factors he identified are as follows, transformation of rural areas, construc-
tion and rehabilitation of roads, establishment of more industries and increased
welfare package. He pointed out that it is the increased growth in road vehicles

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 E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

that is responsible for a system which will assist in navigation, ease congestion
and make road transportation safe and reliable. Figure 1 shows some of the tools
used for traffic monitoring.

2.3. Intelligent Transportation Systems (Its) Use for

Traffic Monitoring
Information technologies are represented in all fields of society and science, in-
cluding the traffic and transport. They are the base of intelligent systems. Traffic
and transport are areas that are directly related to the spatial relations, in terms
of which they are no longer able to manage efficiently or maintain the system
without adequate infrastructure and database GIS (Geographical Information
System) character [8].
Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are advanced applications which
without embodying intelligence as such, aim to provide innovative services re-
lating to different modes of transport and traffic management and enable vari-
ous users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and smarter
use of transport networks. The directive of the European Union 2010/40/EU,
made on the 7 July, 2010 defined ITS as systems in which information and
communication technologies are applied in the field of road transport, including
infrastructure, vehicles and users, and in traffic management and mobility man-
agement, as well as for interfaces with other modes of transport [9].
There are different ITS designs and they vary in technology and application,
from basic management systems such as car navigation; traffic signal control
systems; container management systems; variable message signs; automatic

Figure 1. Graphical example of tools use for traffic monitoring. Retrieved from http://www.flir.com/traffic/display/?id=67443.

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E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

number plate recognition or speed cameras to monitor applications, such as se-

curity CCTV (close circuit television) systems; and to more advanced applica-
tions that integrate live data and feedback from a number of other sources, such
as parking guidance and information systems; weather information; bridge de-
vising systems; and the like. Additionally, predictive techniques are being devel-
oped to allow advanced modeling and comparison with historical baseline data.
Some of these technologies are discussed in the following sections.
1) Variable Message Signs (VMS)
VMS are key elements of dynamic traffic management systems. It is an elec-
tronic traffic sign which is often used to give travelers information about special
events, as shown in Figure 2. The VMS displays information which informs,
warn, and guide the motorists on highways and expressways depending on the
traffic situation. They do this by providing highly visible and concise informa-
tion to drivers which keeps them better informed, thereby helping to reduce
traffic congestion and journey times while lowering pollution levels from
queuing traffic, as shown in Figure 3.
2) Traffic Light Control System
A traffic light or traffic signal is a signaling device which is placed on a road

Figure 2. Graphical example of VMS. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-message_sign#/media/File:Variable_message_sign
_with_travel_times_on_I-70_West,_north_of_Evergreen,_CO.jpg.

Figure 3. Illustration of the use VMS in enhancing in road traffic monitoring. Retrieved
from https://www.siemens.co.uk/traffic/en/index/productssolutionsservices/signs.htm.

DOI: 10.4236/cn.2018.103004 48 Communications and Network

 E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

intersection or pedestrian crossing to indicate when it is safe to drive, ride or

walk, using a universal color code (usually red, yellow and green) [10]. With the
growing number of vehicles, the traffic congestion and transportation delay on
urban arterials are increasing worldwide; hence it is imperative to improve the
safety and efficiency of transportation [11]. That is why improve traffic light
control system is essential. In Nigeria, the traffic lights for vehicles commonly
have three main lights, a red light that means stop, a green light that mean go
and yellow that means ready to stop. However for the pedestrians, there have
only two lights, a red light and a green light that mean go and stop respectively.
The traffic lights have given many benefits to all road users. Besides reducing the
number of accidents, it made the traffic flow smoothly and possibly could save
people time.
3) Container Management System
Container management system is a system of knowing that X containers are
required at time Y in quality Z at one or a number of specified locations, and
that they are in place in the proper quantity and at the right time to meet the
requirement. The Container Management System (CMS) is powered by Con-
tainer chain Solutions. It is a web-based application that enables users to view
and perform transactions anywhere anytime. This solution was implemented
about several years ago in Australia and was adopted by all container depots
across the country, and it is supported by about 57 shipping lines [12].
4) Speed Cameras
Speed camera is a camera at the side of the road that takes pictures of cars that
are going faster than is legally allowed [13].
Speed cameras are those cameras used to some gathering data for experts to
analyze, others helping police catch criminals and manage traffic flow. They are
also used to monitor your speed and record your car’s number plate. There are
various types of speed cameras: Gatos speed cameras, Mobile, HADECS 3, Sie-
mens safe zone, SPEC2, VECTOR. Truvelo, Truvelo D-Cam, Speed curb, Varia-
ble, Traffic light, peek, DS2M, Watchman and spike.
5) Close Circuit Television (CCTV)
Close circuit television (CCTV) is also known as video surveillance. It is the
use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place. They are often
placed on top of traffic signals and along busy roads as well as at busy intersec-
tions of the highway. Video surveillance using CCTV is explosively popular for
recording traffic patterns for future study and observation or monitoring traffic
and issuing tickets for moving violation.

3. Aim and Objectives

The aim of the research work is to identify ways ICT devices can enhance traffic
monitoring in order to reduce some the problems road users encounter. The ob-
jectives of the study are:
1) To examine ways these devices capture real-time data;

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E. N. Ekwonwune et al.

2) It critically looks road traffic safety and measures for reducing risk on roads;
3) Benefits of some of these devices were considered.

4. Methodology
The materials used on the study included those gotten from researched works,
primary and secondary sources of data and information and the WEB. Such ma-
terials included oral interview, articles, personal observations etc.

5. Conclusion
This work has identified the ICT devices and applications as vital tools that have
enhanced road traffic monitoring. It also highlights the importance and contri-
butions of the use of ICT devices and technologies in the administration of traf-
fic monitoring and road safety as well as the sensitization of road users and im-
provement of quality of life of the general public. The implementation of the use
of ICT devices in road traffic monitoring should be a millennium goal for all
developed and developing countries because of its numerous advantages in the
reduction of the intensity of traffic and other road incidents.

References
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[3] Living Heritage (2017) Transport.
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[4] Cambridge Dictionary (2017) Traffic.
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[5] Wikipedia (2017) Road Traffic Safety.
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[11] Huang, Y.-S., et al. (2006) Design and Analysis Urban Traffic Lights Using Timed
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