ITS is a multi-billion dollar industry:

Estimated annual world market for ITS in Cdn $

According to a report by Global Industry Analysts, the global ITS market is forecast to maintain a high CAGR of 14.32 percent over 2000-2010 and reach US$20.7 billion in 2010. The U.S. constitutes the largest market for ITS, with an estimated share of 43.97 percent in 2006, while Europe represents the fastest growing market with a CAGR of 18.24 percent over the same period. In terms of segment, the Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) market, accounting for an estimated 48.81 percent share in 2006, represents the largest segment, while the Electronic Toll Collection systems (ETC) market is the fastest growing segment, with a CAGR of 25.35 percent over 2000-2010. Other segments independently analyzed include Public Vehicle Transportation Management Systems (PVTMS), Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) systems and "Other ITS" (including Vehicle Safety Systems). Unlike any other manufacturing industry that has witnessed phenomenal value migration from manufacturing to the systems integrators, the ITS industry is still fragmented, and each module maker plays a key role in the market, Global Industry Analysts (GIA) states. Technology enablers and system integrators equally share the responsibility for advancing the industry's future and are hence accorded equal importance. Apparently, in the ITS industry, strategies when combined across the board comprise the industry size. GIA believes that the industry is likely to witness a wealth of strategic technological and product development alliances attempting to buck up the mushrooming popularity of intelligent transportation worldwide. Given the overwhelmingly shrunk development cycles, enormous costs of research and design, and evolving multiplicity of complementary technologies, alliances are emerging as the only way to cash in on the fast rising opportunity without entailing big-ticket investments, both in terms of time and money. Further details about GIA’s research are available at: www.strategyR.com/MCP-1109.asp. With permission from ITS International

Over C$600 million will be spent between 2001 and 2011 to make Hong Kong’s transportation system more "intelligent" (Source: June 2001 Hong Kong Update Newsletter published by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office).

In September 2000, Transport Canada announced over $3,000,000 in funding for 19 successful proposals, including $250,000 for the Toronto area Centre-To-Centre Data Exchange Network, which will be matched by $250,000 from the City of Toronto and MTO together, along with commitments from the four participating team members for a total project budget in excess of $700,000.

The Government of Canada’s $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) provides the funding for Innovation Through Partnership . This initiative supports key objectives designed to promote the adoption of ITS technologies to advance the safety, efficiency and security of Canada’s transportation system. Since 1999, Transport Canada has provided more than $8.5 million in support of ITS projects and research in Canada. One million dollars of SHIP funding has been allocated for research and development contracts, with a maximum of $100,000 awarded per project, under Transport Canada’s ITS Research and Development Plan.

Canadian Motor Vehicle Collisions

In March 2004, the Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2002 were made available. The publication (released annually by Transport Canada) provides statistics on motor vehicle collisions and casualties for the year 2002, as well as historical information dating back to 1983. The figures reveal that there are over 21 million licensed drivers and over 17 million passenger vehicles on Canadian roads – more than ever before. Collisions and casualties increased about five per cent in 2002 over the previous year. There was also a three per cent increase in injuries over 2001.

Transport Canada is committed to working with the provinces, territories, police services and other safety agencies on Road Safety Vision 2010 – an initiative that aims to make Canada's roads the safest in the world.

Although road fatalities still represent over 90 per cent of all transportation-related fatalities, Canada's road safety record has steadily improved over the years. Since 1982, road traffic deaths have declined by almost 50 per cent. Following the Government of Canada's introduction of Road Safety Vision 2010 in 1996, the number of road users killed has decreased by 10 per cent, and the number of people seriously injured has fallen by 16 per cent.

The statistics, collected by Transport Canada in cooperation with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, show that in the year 2002, there were 2,596 fatal collisions leading to 2,936 deaths. Motor vehicle occupants accounted for 77.5 per cent of all road user fatalities, with 1,546 drivers and 730 passengers killed. In addition, 370 pedestrians, 172 motorcyclists and 64 bicyclists were also killed on the road.

Economic Impacts of Congestion and Safety

Road Casualties Great Britain – Annual Reports

Transport Canada releases first, systematic analysis of the Cost of Urban Traffic Congestion in Canada (March 22, 2006)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced that the economic impact of motor vehicle accidents exceeds $230 billion a year, an average of $820 for every person living in the United States. The announcement was based on new research released in May 2002 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The report shows that the cost of motor vehicle accidents equals 2.3 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, including $61 billion in lost workplace productivity, $20 billion in lost household productivity, $59 billion in property damage, $32 billion in medical costs and $25 billion in travel delay costs. (All figures in U.S. dollars.).