Skip to main content

Drivers connected as never before

Australia’s New South Wales Centre for Road Safety is to embark on a trial that will allow trucks to transmit and receive warnings about road hazards. The Cooperative Intelligent Transport Initiative (CITI) project will trial Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (CITS) technology along a 42 kilometre major transport link in the Wollongong region. Historically, most crashes along this route involve heavy vehicles, so the first phase of the five-year trial will include 30 heavy vehicles fitted with CI
May 2, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Australia’s New South Wales Centre for Road Safety is to embark on a trial that will allow trucks to transmit and receive warnings about road hazards.

The Cooperative Intelligent Transport Initiative (CITI) project will trial Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (CITS) technology along a 42 kilometre major transport link in the Wollongong region. Historically, most crashes along this route involve heavy vehicles, so the first phase of the five-year trial will include 30 heavy vehicles fitted with CITS devices. The trial is expected to commence in mid 2014.

Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (CITS) have the potential to improve road safety by allowing vehicles to communicate with each other, as well as roadside infrastructure, including traffic signals and railway level crossings.

Drivers using CITS technology can be advised of: imminent collisions with nearby CITS-equipped vehicles; current speed limits; potential red-light violations (based on vehicle speed and traffic signal phasing); local road conditions, such as roadwork, fog, and water over the road; and approaching emergency vehicles.

Using a dedicated 5.9 GHz frequency, data such as vehicle position, direction and speed is transmitted between CITS-equipped vehicles and roadside infrastructure. Messages and alerts can be rapidly communicated to drivers connected by the system. This technology allows vehicles to see each other as never before, such as around a corner or over the crest of a hill, as well as sending warnings to drivers of a potential crash.

CITS technology will be also be used in a trial of smart rest areas along the Newell Highway between Narrabri and Gilgandra to help improve road safety for heavy vehicle drivers. The technology to allow heavy vehicle drivers to receive instant information about: the location of heavy vehicle rest areas; the distance and estimated travel time to rest areas; and vacancy details of the rest areas.

Related Content

  • August 22, 2014
    Volvo Group developing safety systems at new test track
    AstaZero, the world’s first full-scale test track for active automotive safety located in Borås, Sweden has officially opened. The 2000,000 square meters testing area simulates cities as well as multilane motorways and rural roads with intersections. It is here that the Volvo Group will test and develop future safety solutions for heavy vehicles. The Volvo Group claims its vision is to have no Group vehicles involved in traffic accidents and the Group’s safety experts have studied data from traffic acci
  • January 16, 2025
    A journey into the Dilemma Zone with Econolite
    Indecision on the road can kill. Econolite’s Sunny Chakravarty and Vincent Mayeda present new data-driven dilemma zone and intersection safety strategies for a Vision Zero future
  • October 28, 2016
    New solutions for catching texting drivers
    Many countries have laws prohibiting texting while driving but enforcement is proving difficult – David Crawford looks at some new approaches being tried by authorities. Finding definitive solutions – technological, regulatory and educational - to the potentially lethal practice of people driving while using mobile phones is proving elusive, while the stakes grow higher.
  • October 31, 2014
    ITS Australia: used vehicle imports ‘a risk to safety’
    Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia has highlighted the risks to Australian transport safety that would be created by allowing parallel new vehicle and used vehicle imports. The warning is part of ITS Australia’s submission to the Federal Government 2014 Review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Jamie Briggs’ terms of reference for the 2014 Review emphasises “ . . . reducing regulatory burden (red tape) on business . . .” and whether the Ac