Smartphones, smart watches, smart TVs, and smart homes have been a part of our lives for a while now. You can even buy a smart toaster. It was always inevitable that smart highways would come along. They’ve already begun to pop up around the globe in places like China, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and here in the United States — in spots like Indiana, Connecticut, Georgia, Utah, and Ohio.
This is made possible via a connectivity technology platform called Vehicle-to-Everything, or V2X for short, which is confusing since “Everything” starts with an “E.” How are we supposed to abbreviate “Vehicle-to-Xylophone” now? Anyway, this technology allows the backend systems related to a smart highway’s roadside infrastructure to talk to your car, and for your car to talk back. What happens once the road and your car begin communicating depends how the local road authority uses the technology. In some places, the system will change the speed limit or open and close lanes, depending on traffic. In the UK, there are smart roads that will open up hard shoulders as traffic lanes to relieve congestion. It can also be used to alert drivers to road hazards, construction, and extreme weather conditions. In fact, Stellantis has been using V2X in its cars for emergency vehicle detection. Expect to see more of this tech in the near future, as Research and Markets projects the smart highway market size will grow to nearly $100 billion by 2030.
Read more: 5 Bad Driver Habits Guaranteed To Annoy Everyone Else On The Road
How V2X works
Smart traffic system in Hamburg, Germany – holgers.pictures/Shutterstock
In the U.S., V2X uses 5G for communication between your car and the road system, as well as communication between the road system’s backend and roadside infrastructure, like sensors stationed along the highway. More specifically, it uses 5.9G — the wireless band at 5.895-5.925 GHz, called the Safety Band.
Devices on the road, such as signal controllers and detectors, communicate road and traffic conditions to the back-office systems. Your vehicle also uses its On-Board Unit (OBU) – which was either built into your car by the manufacturer (one reason why car antennas keep changing shape) or is installed as an aftermarket device — to communicate with the back-office system. Your car might relay data to the system, and the system will issue alerts and other helpful information to your car. In some cases, the system can assist with autonomous driving.
V2X accomplishes all of this by working with other technologies as part of an ecosystem. For example, artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to analyze traffic flow, road conditions, and road use to make predictive decisions about lane directions, speed limits, and signal light timing, similar to how AI has managed traffic in Boston. The Internet of Things (IoT), in which electronic devices are connected to the Internet, is vital to the operation of smart highways. The technology that runs a smart highway system is comprised of a lot of sophisticated parts.
Results from installing smart road systems
Aerial view of a highway with a smart road system. – D-keine/Getty Images
According to the Department of Transportation, the data strongly suggests that smart highways are safer highways. For example, buses in Cleveland were fitted with V2X OBUs, specifically to alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians in specific crosswalks. The reaction time of the drivers was reduced by 19%. A similar but simulated study was done in California. It concluded that the system could reduce crashes of vehicles turning into the paths of pedestrians or bicyclists by 97%. In Connecticut, the DOT launched a cloud-based system to alert drivers of road hazards. This reportedly lowered the risk of crashing into roadside workers by 90% and reduced hard braking events by 80%. The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority deployed multiple V2X features, including Forward Collision Warning and End of Ramp Deceleration Warning. A 9% reduction in forward collision conflicts was reported, along with a reduction in travel time of 30%.
But this technology can make roads more efficient as well. In Alpharetta, Georgia, it was used to extend the timing of green lights for school buses. School bus drivers had to stop 40% less and there was a 13% reduction in travel time. Fuel economy improved too, with 7.4% less propane being used, as well as 12.4% less diesel. A simulated model was constructed for optimizing traffic in a specific Houston area. It projected a 50% reduction in stop delays in large metros. This all makes a strong argument for further investment in smart roads.
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