Automated Terrestrial Traffic Instruction and Control System

The Automated Terrestrial Traffic Instruction and Control System (ATTICS) is a continent-wide coordinated network of communications channels and control mechanisms that directly manipulates and synchronizes the movement and route of all motor vehicles that travel on the expansive collection of routes managed by the system. The ATTICS is overseen by the Office of Synchronized Transportation (OST), which operates within the government's Bureau of Transportation and Conveyance (BTC). The ATTICS controls both road vehicle and rail transport.

All motor vehicles operating on a road or rail route that is controlled by the ATTICS must be equipped with the capacity to be fully controlled by the system, the ability to concurrently lock-out any manual human control of or input into the vehicle's movements, and communicate to the system various information about the vehicle's destination, movements, status, and cargo. This, in effect, makes all ATTICS routes—and indeed, the majority of automobile routes in Illuminatia—controlled access roads, albeit not in the same way as the expressways and turnpikes of Earth's modern-ancient era. All other non-ATTICS manually-controlled motor vehicles must be able to be automatically stopped and moved out of the right-of-way by the system as needed to protect ATTICS right-of-way.

The Automated Terrestrial Traffic Instruction and Control System maintains control over both passenger vehicles and freight transport vehicles, whether they are being utilized personally or commercially. Mass transit systems maintain the fullest extent of integration with the ATTICS possible.

The ATTICS exclusively controls all vehicle-accessible streets in urban centers, all urban auto thoroughfares, a complete network of inter-city highways, and all rail lines. Manually operated vehicles and locomotives are not allowed on these facilities—all traffic in these areas is controlled by ATTICS. Physical access to ATTICS-controlled routes by manually-operated motor vehicles, human-powered transport, and pedestrians is generally inconvenient or physically impossible, with access controlled by permanent barriers or other access-restriction devices. In locations where a non-controlled street intersects an ATTICS-controlled route at an at-grade intersection, automatically movable gates are used to enforce right-of-way and stop manually-operated traffic, in addition to the automatic braking all manual vehicles are required to have. At-grade crossings between rail lines and roads is uncommon.

All ATTICS-equipped vehicles communicate details of their movement and intended destination with the system in real time using wireless communications. The ATTICS, in turn, routes and controls the vehicles automatically, taking into account traffic congestion, road usage levels, road conditions, route conflicts, and details about the instantaneous movement of all other vehicles to ensure that no vehicles collide, interfere with one another, or cause undue levels of traffic congestion. The ATTICS also takes into account energy availability and capacity, cargo information, and passenger numbers to make the most efficient use of energy possible and to ensure that no motor vehicle runs out of energy and that mitigation and management measures inconvenience the fewest number of passengers possible and does not negatively affect cargo. The system balances a number of potentially competing factors and interests to maintain maximum efficiency and safety.

While the ATTICS is an automatic system controlled by intelligent computing devices, centralized human monitoring of the system is utilized by the Office of Synchronized Transportation. The OST employs monitoring technicians with extensive training in transportation logistics who may intervene in the automatic operation of the system as they seem necessary. This takes place only infrequently.

The existence of the ATTICS has been credited with maintaining Illuminatia's nearly non-existent rate of motor traffic injuries and fatalities. Under ATTICS control, any element of human error or negligence is eliminated in the driving of motor vehicles. The ATTICS has made it possible to nearly eliminate personal ownership and personal use of motor vehicles in Illuminatia. The ATTICS is so ubiquitous that only a minority of streets and roads in the most rural areas require manual operation of a motor vehicle by a human. The duration of public roads on which manual vehicle operation is possible is limited and speeds on these routes are kept below 22 [Linear Unit|KLU]]/TU to ensure adequate reaction times to maintain pedestrian and vehicle occupant safety.

The ATTICS has also allowed Illuminatian transportation to function efficiently with a minimum of infrastructure. Most highways consist of at most two lanes primarily to allow frequent oncoming traffic to pass without stopping the opposing traffic. Overtaking is not common for same-direction traffic, as traffic levels are controlled before entry into the road and all traffic is instructed to travel at the same speed. The oncoming lane is safely used for rare instances in which high-priority traffic must overtake standard-speed traffic or vehicles operating in energy conservation mode; this is possible as the ATTICS is in full control of oncoming traffic. Most moderately-trafficked routes are single-lane, with periodic side-lanes for passing of oncoming traffic; this is possible thanks to the strict traffic regulation which restricts opposing-direction traffic to intervals that make passing within these side-lanes possible.