Standards Testing

Testing ITS standards in the field is an important step in the life cycle of an ITS standard because it validates (i.e. builds confidence among designers and users) that the ITS standards can be successfully used under typical project conditions.

ITS standards testing seeks to answer key questions. Does the ITS standard meet the needs of deployers? Is the ITS standard written in such a way that leads to a single interpretation? Is the ITS standard complete and ready to be deployed? A successful test will build confidence in the standard and lead to wider deployment. The U.S. DOT's program to test ITS standards is being carried out by the Battelle Memorial Institute.

Testing standards is part of the iterative process of standards development. Results from standards testing, including issues encountered, lessons learned, and ideas for improvement, are fed back to standards developers for the next amendment of the standard. These lessons learned are also available to ITS system designers and integrators who are using the current version of the tested standard.

The testing program leverages ongoing and planned ITS field deployments, and produces test reports that can be used by ITS project designers and integrators in their deployments. All of the information collected during the standards testing process helps future designers and integrators better anticipate the reliability, interoperability, functionality, and performance of ITS projects using ITS standards.

Additional information on the ITS Standards Testing Program, the results of ITS Standards tests, and the Standards Testing Site Selection Criteria are available in the Standards Testing section of ITS Deployment Resources.