Glossary
ITS terms explained
Plain-language definitions of the abbreviations and standards used in traffic management, weigh-in-motion and smart mobility.
- AID — Automatic incident detection
- Cameras or sensors with software that automatically detect incidents such as stopped vehicles or congestion.
- ANPR — Automatic number plate recognition
- Camera-based reading of vehicle number plates, used for parking, access control and the enforcement of low-emission zones.
- C-ITS — Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems
- ITS in which vehicles, roadside infrastructure and other road users exchange data directly, for instance to give priority at traffic signals or to warn about hazards.
- DATEX II
- A European standard for exchanging traffic and travel information between traffic centres, service providers and other systems.
- Digital twin
- A model of a physical system, such as a road network, that is fed with real data so that scenarios can be simulated before they are carried out.
- ITS — Intelligent Transport Systems
- The use of information and communication technology in road transport, for example traffic signals, traffic management and traveller information, to make mobility safer and more efficient.
- iVRI — intelligente Verkeersregelinstallatie (intelligent traffic signal controller)
- The Dutch name for an intelligent traffic signal controller that can exchange data with vehicles and other systems, for example to give priority to public transport.
- LEZ / ZEZ — Low-emission zone / zero-emission zone
- An area with restricted access for vehicles that do not meet emission standards (LEZ), or for all vehicles with tailpipe emissions (ZEZ).
- LoRaWAN — Long Range Wide Area Network
- A low-power wireless network technology that connects sensors over long distances, for example parking or environmental sensors.
- NAP — National Access Point
- A national portal where road and traffic data is made available, as required by the EU ITS Directive, so that navigation and mobility services can reuse it.
- NIS2
- The EU directive (2022/2555) on the security of network and information systems. Operators of essential and important services, including parts of the transport sector, must manage cyber risks and report incidents.
- NTCIP — National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol
- A family of standards for communication between traffic management systems and field equipment such as traffic signal controllers and message signs.
- OCIT — Open Communication Interface for Road Traffic Control Systems
- An open interface standard for communication between traffic signal controllers and central traffic systems, widely used in Europe.
- OCPI — Open Charge Point Interface
- An open protocol for exchanging data between charge point operators and mobility service providers, for instance about locations, tariffs and charging sessions.
- SLA — Service level agreement
- A contract that sets the service levels for maintenance and operation, for example response and repair times and system availability.
- V2X — Vehicle-to-everything
- Communication between vehicles, roadside infrastructure and other road users.
- VMS / DRIP — Variable message sign / dynamic route information panel
- A road sign that can show changing messages such as travel times, warnings, diversions or speed limits.
- WIM — Weigh-in-motion
- Measuring the axle loads and gross weight of vehicles while they drive over a sensor at traffic speed. It is used for overload enforcement, for pre-selecting trucks to inspect and for protecting roads and bridges.