A Novel Approach to Reduce Traffic Chaos in Emergency and Evacuation Scenarios Syed R. Rizvi, Stephan Olariu, Michele C. Weigle Department of Computer Science Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23529 USA {srizvi, olariu, mweigle}@cs.odu.edu Mona E. Rizvi Department of Computer Science Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23504 USA mrizvi@nsu.edu Abstract— This paper proposes a novel chaos reducing information dissemination approach for spatio-temporal traffic information related to first responders and evacuation scenarios using Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). In our approach, we provide an emergency vehicle path clearing technique. Therefore, traffic confusion and chaos is lowered on evacuation and emergency vehicle routes. Simulation results show that our approach works efficiently without fully relying on any message relaying infrastructure. Keywords-VANET; Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks; Evacuation; Contraflow; Emergency Service Vehicles I. INTRODUCTION One of the major causes of traffic chaos is the confusion and failure to detect Emergency Service Vehicles (ESVs) (e.g. ambulances, police cars and fire trucks, etc.), which can lead to slow progress and even accidents involving the ESVs traveling towards their destinations. In addition to ESV scenarios, during an evacuation, there exists a tremendously challenging task for supply trucks to reach their destinations as quickly as possible and with minimal interruptions (see Fig. 1). Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) have recently been proposed as a technology that can provide both drivers and passengers with a safe and enjoyable driving experience. Previous and current research and development [2, 4, 5, 6, 9] show that VANETs have recently gained much attention. Vehicles on the road, equipped with short and medium range wireless communication technology [14], form VANETs, whose main purpose is to exchange traffic safety and other security-related messages. VANETs can be used for many applications with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to- infrastructure (V2I) communication. Some of the significant applications of VANETs are road safety applications including collision and other safety warning systems [3, 15, 10], driver convenience and information systems and, in the future, intelligent traffic management systems. The idea presented in this paper is that if all motorists are able to receive information through a broadcast from moving ESV(s), the algorithm can detect if, when, and where the ESV and the motorist will meet and thus provide advanced warning to the driver of the approaching ESV. This approach can also be employed in an evacuation where ESVs will be the supply trucks that are required to reach various locations along the evacuation path. Consequently, our approach enhances the effectiveness of existing evacuation plans. II. RELATED WORK The sudden appearance of an ESV en route to an emergency can be critically disruptive to nearby vehicles as individual drivers maneuver to get out of the way. ESVs operating in higher congestion levels are at higher risk for involvement in accidents and are subject to unpredictable delays in reaching the scene of a fire or crash. EMS personnel in the United States have an estimated fatality rate of 12.7 per 100,000 workers, more than twice the national average [8]. Our VANET-based approach primarily assists emergency response units in safely reaching the incident location as fast as possible. In the U.S., the FCC has already approved 75 MHz of spectrum for vehicles to communicate among themselves (V2V communications) and with road-side infrastructure (V2I communication), known as Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC). This DSRC system is expected to be the first wide-scale VANET in North America. In Japan, two DSRC standards have been adopted, and the Japanese automobile manufacturers are coordinating with Japanese governments on a large-scale Advanced Safety Vehicle Project [6]. In Europe, several projects, such as the Fleetnet project in Germany [4], have been conducted (see Table 1). Although research has been done on evacuation using infrastructure- based Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) [12], less attention has been given towards proposing a solution with a combination of VANET and evacuation rescue efforts. Figure 1. Cars sit broken down or without fuel by the side of the road in Huntsville, Texas. Trucks filled with life-saving relief supplies are unable to reach their destinations [7].