Networked cars ‘make traffic safer and more efficient’

One of the largest field tests ever conducted on Car-to-X communication has shown that information exchange between vehicles and infrastructure make traffic safer and more efficient. simTD (Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test Field Germany), a joint project by leading German automotive manufacturers, component suppliers, telecommunication companies, research institutions and public authorities recently carried out tests on the simTD technology using 500 test drivers in moving traffic. Scientists at the Technis
June 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins

One of the largest field tests ever conducted on Car-to-X communication has shown that information exchange between vehicles and infrastructure make traffic safer and more efficient.

simTD (Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test Field Germany), a joint project by leading German automotive manufacturers, component suppliers, telecommunication companies, research institutions and public authorities recently carried out tests on the simTD technology using 500 test drivers in moving traffic.

Scientists at the Technische Universität München (TUM) simulated the effect on traffic if all vehicles were fitted with the technology. Based on the scientists’ findings, the consortium assumes potential savings of more than US$14.5 billion each year to the German economy.

The system developed by the simTD project links vehicles and infrastructure electronically. Using specially developed radio technology, based on the WLAN standard, sensors installed along the route receive and transmit traffic information to and from vehicles and roadside stations.  This data is also transmitted to a traffic centre, which then forecasts and manages the traffic.

Drivers with simTD technology equipped vehicles can view a display providing them with information such as suggestions on the best route or the optimum speed for urban driving to avoid red lights.  They also receive visual and acoustic warnings of imminent dangers such as traffic queues, emergency vehicles or dropped loads.

“The field test clearly shows that the system provides for enhanced safety, efficiency and comfort in road traffic,” says Professor Fritz Busch, TUM's chair of Traffic Engineering and Control. “Drivers have used the information to adapt their speed and driving behaviour earlier to a particular traffic situation. The benefits of networking are great, particularly in situations where hidden dangers lurk.”

“The Car-to-X technology is now ready for market,” says project coordinator Dr. Christian Weiss.

As a first step, a system is planned for a corridor between Rotterdam and Vienna, via Frankfurt/Main. This system, planned for 2015, will monitor the traffic situation at road works and issue relevant warnings to drivers. To standardise the technology further, the project partners are working with other European automakers and authorities.

Location Based Systems Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • En route to an open V2X architecture
    June 24, 2015
    During 2012 to 2015 the CONVERGE project has defined the organisational and technical foundations of an open and collaborative architecture for V2X-communication. The results of that work have now been made public. Although the technical requirements for safe and efficient transport of individuals and road freight have long since been fulfilled, a flexible and secure communications network is still required. "Only if we manage to combine various communication systems such as wireless LAN, mobile data networ
    Read More
  • Remote remedies help US authorities identify bridge deficiencies
    September 6, 2017
    Every day 185 million vehicles – cars, trucks, school buses, emergency response units - cross one or more of America’s 55,710 'structurally compromised' steel and concrete road bridges, the highest concentration of which are in Iowa (nearly 5,000), Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Nearly 2,000 of these crossings are located on interstate highways, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association's recent analysis of the US Department of Transportation's 2016 National Bridge Inventory.
    Read More
  • Integrate systems to reduce roadside infrastructure
    January 27, 2012
    David Crawford reviews promising current developments. Instrumentation of the road infrastructure has grown to become one of the most dynamic sectors of the ITS industry. Drivers for its deployment include global concerns over the commercial and environmental pressures of traffic congestion, the importance of keeping drivers informed throughout their journeys, and the need to reduce accident rates and promote the safety of all road users, for example by enforcing traffic safety rules.
    Read More
  • Connected vehicle technology the solution to safety?
    January 25, 2012
    A series of 'driver clinics' is under way across five states, as vehicle manufacturers and the US Government pin their hopes on connected vehicles becoming the next big advance in road safety. Pete Goldin reports. What would a car say if it could talk? Its first words might be: "Here I am". Many vehicles are communicating that very message to each other right now. Admittedly, this is in controlled environments of US Department of Transportation (USDoT) tests, but within the next few years 'connected vehicle
    Read More

Highlighted Content