Honda world first can detect the potential for traffic congestion

Honda Motor Company has announced the successful development of what it claims is the world’s first technology to detect the potential for traffic congestion and determine whether the driving pattern of the vehicle is likely to create traffic jams. The company developed this technology while recognising that the acceleration and deceleration behaviour of one vehicle influences the traffic pattern of trailing vehicles and can trigger the traffic congestion.
April 27, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
1683 Honda Motor Company has announced the successful development of what it claims is the world’s first technology to detect the potential for traffic congestion and determine whether the driving pattern of the vehicle is likely to create traffic jams. The company developed this technology while recognising that the acceleration and deceleration behaviour of one vehicle influences the traffic pattern of trailing vehicles and can trigger the traffic congestion.

In conjunction with the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology at the 5315 University of Tokyo, Honda conducted experimental testing of a system using the technology to detect the potential for traffic congestion. The test results demonstrated that the system helped increase the average speed by approximately 23 per cent and improved fuel efficiency by approximately eight per cent of trailing vehicles.

With the goal to bring this technology to market, Honda will begin the first public-road testing of the technology in Italy and Indonesia in May and July of this year, respectively, to verify the effectiveness of the technology in minimising vehicle congestion.  

Rather than providing information to help the driver avoid existing congestion based on current traffic information, the system monitors the acceleration and deceleration patterns of the vehicle to determine whether the driver’s driving pattern is likely to create traffic congestion. Based on this determination, the system provides the driver with appropriate information, including a colour-coded display through the on-board terminal, to encourage smooth driving which will help alleviate the intensity of acceleration and deceleration by trailing vehicles, thereby helping to prevent or minimise the occurrence of vehicle congestion.

Moreover, the positive effect on minimising congestion and fuel efficiency improvement can be further increased by connecting the on-board terminals to cloud servers to make the driver aware of and in sync with the driving patterns of vehicles ahead by activating the ACC (adaptive cruise control) system at the right time to maintain a constant distance between vehicles at the most appropriate interval.
Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Mazda develops system to avoid car-streetcar collisions
    September 5, 2013
    The University of Tokyo and Mazda Motor Corporation have jointly developed a system involving wireless communications technology to prevent collisions between cars and streetcars (or trams). The system’s car-mounted sensors can detect signals from a streetcar up to 100 metres away, in contrast with the current range of just a few dozen metres for conventional sensors on cars. The new system is designed to prevent collisions between vehicles and oncoming streetcars by allowing their position and direction
    Read More
  • Co-operative infrastructure reduces congestion, increases safety
    January 30, 2012
    ITS Japan's Chairman Hiroyuki Watanabe talks to ITS International about his country's progress with cooperative infrastructures and how the experience gained to date can benefit similar initiatives elsewhere. Japan gave the rest of the world a taste of the cooperative infrastructure future when, in 1996, it went live with the Vehicle Information and Communication System (VICS). Designed to provide real-time traffic information and alerts to in-vehicle navigation systems with the dual aims of increasing safe
    Read More
  • Vaisala: Weather data is vital for connected vehicles
    August 26, 2016
    Vaisala’s Dr Kevin Petty explains why the weather will continue to play a big part in road safety and traffic management in the smart cities of the future. The world is becoming increasingly connected. Thanks to advances in information and communications technology, the cities we live in are becoming ‘smart’, with everything from education to law enforcement managed by integrated tech solutions in a bid to improve quality of life.
    Read More
  • Data is driving force behind TomTom's intelligent traffic management
    August 23, 2024
    The complexities of modern urban life have put unprecedented strain on transportation infrastructure. Traffic congestion, accidents, and inefficient resource allocation are persistent challenges. However, as Frans Keijzer, Bid Manager EMEA and APAC at TomTom Enterprise explains, a powerful tool has emerged to reshape the way we manage our roads: big data.
    Read More

Highlighted Content