Skip to main content

Korea aiming to build the world’s smartest highways

One of the ten key projects launched in 2006 by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport aims to build the world’s most intelligent highways. In a world where eighty per cent of traffic accidents on expressways are attributed to driver negligence, Korea records the lowest level of traffic safety among OECD member countries. The smart highway project aims to reduce the accident rate and encourage people to use expressways more conveniently by integrating information, automobile and road mana
September 4, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
One of the ten key projects launched in 2006 by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport aims to build the world’s most intelligent highways.

In a world where eighty per cent of traffic accidents on expressways are attributed to driver negligence, Korea records the lowest level of traffic safety among 7353 OECD member countries. The smart highway project aims to reduce the accident rate and encourage people to use expressways more conveniently by integrating information, automobile and road management technologies.

The smart highway project comprises: the development of road-based technology including road weather warning systems, high performance lighting and the development of safety barriers and road signs; traffic management technology using wireless communications, automobile-related technology, vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communications systems and multi-lane tolling systems; and the provision of real time traffic information for drivers and the development of comprehensive road and vehicle management systems and technologies for lane departure prevention and vehicle control assistance based on road related data.

“Creative technologies, including cutting-edge ICT converging technology, will be absolutely needed if we want to change the paradigm of roads to a living space from just transportation infrastructure,” said Lee Eui-jun, the managing director of Korea SMART Highway Study and Application Centre in an interview with BusinessKorea. He added, “We should continuously locate new models for transportation system that contribute to making life more convenient and safe by converging IT, telecommunications, automotive technologies and road management.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Dubai plans to be 'world’s most bike-friendly city' by 2040
    November 30, 2023
    URB consultancy aims to shift city where car is king to one that rivals Amsterdam
  • Enforcement suppliers highlight industry best practice
    March 15, 2012
    Major suppliers of enforcement technology highlight the countries, regions or cities that they consider to be leading the way in reduction of road traffic violations. The French government’s ambitious programme of enforcing traffic law violations has proven to be an unrivalled success and is continuing to bring improvements in road safety with innovative enforcement technology.
  • Improve and increase mass transit systems to minimise congestion
    January 24, 2012
    Rather looking to solve congestion by spreading the load, perhaps we need to look at concentrating it. Michael L. Sena writes. We humans were made to walk and run at embarrassingly slow speeds by comparison with other, more fleet-footed organisms. The sea is not our natural habitat and we were definitely not designed to fly unaided. Nevertheless, humankind has evolved a method of living during the past century that is dependent on transporting its members over very long distances during relatively short per
  • WIM industry ponders certification challenge
    April 29, 2019
    It’s hard to pin down the world of Weigh in Motion. Adam Hill asks five of the sector’s leading players about current developments – and whether problems with certification will ever be solved