Cars communicating with roads are just around the corner. Novel technology will soon offer congestion relief on roads and highways. A new intelligent transportation system will allow vehicles to wirelessly communicate with each other as well as with the roads around them.
The Florida Department of Transportation is currently introducing vehicle detection sensors that can measure speed, travel times and volume of traffic. Florida along with other states is at the forefront of a national program to introduce an innovative transportation network system. Imagine information on everything your car does- its current speed, whether the wipers are on or the breaks are engaged- all this is sent to a traffic command center that informs you when you are approaching a construction zone, a crash or a bottleneck; at the same time a vehicle a mile away is warning you about slippery conditions, reduced visibility or dangerous curve in the road.
Much of the decision-making is taken out of the hands of the drivers and into the control of the system. The advanced technology will open up shoulders to traffic using sensors, cameras, electronic message signs; set up predetermined detour routs when needed; use variable speed limits in express toll lanes.
Such a system makes expanding highways more expensive and impractical. According to Mohamed Hamid, a transportation researcher at Florida International University, when we build bigger roads, there’s no guarantee it will solve congestion problems.
With this advanced system, a new era for transportation is coming: smooth traffic, rare crashes, safer driving, reduced commute times.
