PRESTO
Full title: PRedictable Emergency Safety and Traffic Operations
Rapid emergency response is crucial for reducing the consequences of traffic incidents, yet emergency vehicles operate in highly dynamic traffic environments where the behavior of surrounding road users can be difficult to predict. As connected support systems such as Emergency Vehicle Approaching (EVA) notifications emerge, there is a growing need to better understand how these systems, together with traffic conditions and infrastructure, influence emergency vehicle mobility and response times.
Purpose and Goals
PRESTO is a pre-study that aims to lay the foundation for safer, more efficient, and more predictable emergency vehicle operations. The project will investigate the feasibility of developing improved traffic models and route recommendation tools that account for interactions between emergency vehicles, road users, and transport infrastructure. The long-term goal is to support emergency services with more reliable route guidance and decision support, helping to reduce response times, lower crash risks, and improve safety for both emergency personnel and the public.
Design and Implementation
The project combines a state-of-the-art review of existing research, an assessment of available data sources and modeling approaches, and a stakeholder-driven development process. Researchers will explore how real-world driving behavior and responses to EVA systems can be represented in traffic simulations and response time prediction models. A workshop involving academia, industry, road authorities, emergency services, and technology providers will identify key knowledge gaps, requirements, and priorities for future research.
Expected Results and Effects
Expected outcomes include a comprehensive overview of current knowledge, a feasibility assessment of methods and data sources, and a roadmap for a larger collaborative research project. The project will also strengthen cooperation between research organizations, emergency services, authorities, and industry partners. In the longer term, PRESTO is expected to contribute to improved prediction of emergency response times, more effective traffic management strategies, and enhanced support systems for emergency vehicles. The knowledge generated will also be relevant for connected, cooperative, and future automated transport systems.
Traffic Safety Benefit: By improving understanding of how emergency vehicles interact with surrounding traffic, infrastructure, and emerging support systems, PRESTO seeks to enable safer and more predictable emergency operations. Better route recommendations and traffic management strategies can help reduce response times while minimizing risks for emergency personnel and other road users. The project therefore contributes to a safer transport system, where emergency services can reach incidents more efficiently without compromising road safety.
Key words: EVA, emergency vehicle, guidance, emergency personnel
