Smart Mobility Monitor 2026: what it means for road authorities and traffic management
Every year, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, through CROW, maps out developments in the field of smart mobility. With the Monitor Smart Mobility 2026 The fourth edition is now available: a compilation of figures on vehicle automation, traffic management and information services, and mobility services in the Netherlands. New this year is the specific focus on road freight transport.
For road authorities, the monitor is more than just a numerical overview. It is a barometer of how well digital communication with road users is actually received and where there is still room for improvement. In this article, we highlight the key insights from the Smart Mobility Monitor 2026 that have direct relevance to traffic management, road works, and the provision of information to road users.
What is the Smart Mobility Monitor 2026?
The Smart Mobility Monitor is an annual publication of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, accessible via the CROW website 'De ladder van Smart Mobility'. Since 2023, trends, developments, and applications have been systematically mapped within three categories:
- Vehicle automationDriver assistance systems (ADAS) in passenger cars and trucks
- Traffic management and information services: how road users are informed about current traffic situations
- Mobility services: particularly shared mobility
Each category is examined from three perspectives: supply (what is available), use (how often and by whom it is used), and impact (what it yields). This structure makes the monitor useful as a basis for policy choices, precisely what road managers seek guidance on.
Traffic information for freight traffic: key insights
New in the 2026 edition is the specific focus on freight transport. This is relevant, as truck drivers appear to have different information needs than car drivers, and this is precisely where opportunities lie for road authorities.
Navigation versus roadside information
If the information on a navigation system differs from what is visible along the road (for example, on a sign or DRIP), a growing proportion of drivers opt for their own navigation: the preference for this rose from 23% in 2019 to 30% in 2025. At the same time, the group that relies on roadside information is also increasing, from 16% (2022) to 24% (2025). Almost half follow one source or the other situationally.
This shows that consistency between in-car navigation and physical signage is not a “nice to have,” but a prerequisite. As soon as the two sources contradict each other, uncertainty arises, and that is precisely the moment when the likelihood of incorrect driving increases.
What drivers want to know, but are not getting now
The monitor reveals a clear information gap. More than 80% of the drivers would find information regarding weight and length restrictions on the route and the currently applicable speed limits useful, but only 33% actually receives information regarding weight/length, and of the drivers transporting dangerous goods, only 34% receive specific ADR information.
The demand for better information also exists among carriers themselves. The four most frequently mentioned situations about which carriers want to be better informed have remained unchanged since 2019: roadworks, diversion routes, traffic jam warnings, and information about incidents and accidents.
iVRIs: supply grows, awareness lags behind
Intelligent traffic signal systems (iVRIs) that give trucks priority at traffic lights are growing in number: in October 2025, there were 1,241 operational iVRIs, 399 of which had specific truck priority. The effect is demonstrable, ranging from a few percent to 351 TP3T of travel time savings per location, yet only 31 TP3T of drivers report ever experiencing priority. This signals that the supply is growing faster than awareness and usage.
The demand for better information also exists among carriers themselves. The four most frequently mentioned situations about which carriers want to be better informed have remained unchanged since 2019: roadworks, diversion routes, traffic jam warnings, and information about incidents and accidents.
Distraction by information services: careful design remains necessary
A recurring theme in the monitor is distraction. Among truck drivers, 35% indicates that operating systems distracts them slightly to strongly; similar percentages apply to car drivers. The most frequently mentioned risky situations resulting from this are (briefly) leaving the lane and driving too close to the vehicle in front.
This underscores a core principle for anyone designing and communicating traffic information: the more signals, notifications, and screens, the greater the risk that the message will not get across properly. Clear, timely, and limited communication works better than an abundance of notifications.
What does this mean for road authorities?
The Smart Mobility Monitor 2026 confirms a pattern already visible in practice: the supply of digital traffic information is growing faster than its actual use and appreciation. For road authorities, this presents three concrete points of attention:
Ensure consistency between physical signage/DRIPs along the road and the information road users receive via their navigation system.
Aligns with the needs of freight traffic specifically: Consider weight, length, and ADR information, instead of assuming the same information needs as passenger cars.
Limit the number of reports: to what is relevant and timely, to prevent distraction and the “filtering out” of important messages.
The Smart Mobility Monitor 2026 shows that the Netherlands is digitizing rapidly, but also that a clear gap still exists between what is technically possible and what road users actually receive and appreciate. For road authorities, this is an invitation not only to invest in new systems, but especially in the connection between digital and physical communication along the road.
