Detection and monitoring of hazardous material transportation on road between France and Italy: Objectives, methodology and first results

This paper presents the objectives, the methodology and the first results of the TMD-NIS Interreg IIIA Alcotra Project that deals with the detection and monitoring of Hazardous Matter Transportation on the road axis Nice-Imperia-Savona between France and Italy. The final objective of this project is to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for public and private end users to improve risk prevention and crisis management. In order to develop this DSS, this project is based upon the definition of instruments, technologies and common operational strategies for the integrated management and the monitoring of vehicles of HAZMAT transportation. In the way of collaboration, two complementary technologies have been developed: an image processing system to identify the HAZMAT orange plates and an on-board system using GPS and GPRS. This DSS will also integrate geographical and socio-economical data in order to estimate the risk exposure of the different territories related to the HAZMAT transportation activity.