The morning commute can be more than just a headache, it can be dangerous. Traffic jams, inclement weather, and even standard road repairs can cause hard braking, annoying congestion, and distracted driving. That’s why the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and CIRRUS by Panasonic recently tested cutting edge connected-vehicle technology for its ability to create smoother and safer roadways.
GDOT’s most recent tests on The Ray, Georgia’s 10-mile testing ground for transportation technology, addressed several common real-world traffic situations, including hard braking events, weather events, active work zones, and vehicle crashes. Smart on-board units (OBUs) and roadside units (RSUs) actively communicated with each other to process real-time inputs and send proactive alerts to other drivers. This allowed the system to effectively notify drivers in the vicinity of a hazard or incident, giving them enough time to change their driving behavior, if necessary.
Testing these connected vehicle applications is just the beginning. Let’s dig into four of GDOT’s use cases for V2X to see how the tests determined that driving and roadways are changing for the better.
V2X Safety Test 1: Hard Braking
Slamming on the brakes isn’t great for your car or for a driver’s patience. Sudden braking is a leading cause of traffic congestion and accidents, causing a ripple effect of drivers braking sharply to avoid crashing. And sometimes, drivers can’t stop in time, causing rear-end collisions. Frustratingly, even in instances where these slowdowns are accident-free, they can create a long-lasting traffic jam.
Figure 1: Connected vehicles feature dashboard alerts warning of safety issues ahead, including work zones, sudden braking, and bad weather.
To combat this issue, GDOT simulated a hard-braking event on The Ray in a V2X connected vehicle. However, instead of causing a potentially dangerous event, the hard-braking instance was captured by CIRRUS and communicated to vehicles traveling behind the braking car, using a network of OBUs and RSUs. Drivers in the surrounding vehicles were then able to adjust their driving, slowing down in advance and avoiding panic braking.
The braking test has a clear, real-world application, and can be used to reduce congestion, smooth traffic flow, and minimize rear-end collisions. Keeping drivers informed not only helps them drive more safely, but could also encourage proactive traffic calming decisions, such as slowing down or choosing a different route.
V2X Safety Test 2: Weather Hazards
From sudden rainstorms to icy patches, hazardous weather conditions can catch drivers off guard, creating poor visibility, reduced traction, and delayed reaction times.
While there’s no way to prevent sudden changes in the weather, keeping drivers informed about upcoming weather hazards can help them anticipate and adjust their driving to ensure a safe journey. Therefore, GDOT and CIRRUS used RSUs on The Ray to detect changes in weather conditions, measuring vehicle conditions including reduced road friction and windshield wiper activation – common indicators of rain, ice, or snow.
This real-time data was transformed into alerts that were communicated to vehicles in the vicinity, alerting drivers to slippery roads, a reduction in visibility, and more hazards ahead.
The successful test shows that V2X technology can help prepare drivers for what’s ahead, helping them make choices to minimize weather-related accident risks.
V2X Safety Test 3: Active Work Zones
Active work zones can be some of the most hazardous areas on highways, posing risks to both drivers and workers. Roadwork often necessitate closed lanes, causing confusion and distraction, on top of reduced vehicle speeds and heavy machinery on the road. In these cases, driver behavior can become unpredictable and unusual, as drivers try to quickly adapt to the work zone.
Static signs are the standard warning of work zones ahead, but these can be easily ignored or missed if drivers are focused on other traffic conditions. Instead, receiving real-time alerts about lane closures, vehicle speeds, and equipment movement at relevant intervals can help drivers more accurately understand the situation they are driving towards. This is especially important in the dynamic areas that are work zones, where people, heavy machinery, and various vehicles are constantly moving.
By warning the drivers based on their location of any potential upcoming changes, such as lane closures or slow traffic, drivers can moderate their speeds and behaviors, avoiding sudden braking or erratic lane changes. The smoother traffic flow around the work zones also helps prevent congestion and minimize delays, creating a safer environment for both the drivers and the workers.
V2X Safety Test 4: Vehicle Accidents
When a vehicle breaks down or an accident occurs, it can disrupt the traffic flow for a long time. In the first instance, nearby drivers may have to break suddenly, swerve dangerously, or even have difficulty reacting in time, resulting in further collisions. Furthermore, drivers may not notice or fully comprehend traditional visual cues that alert them to accidents or traffic incidents, such as hazard lights, flares, or cones, especially when traveling at high speeds or in poor visibility conditions. Afterwards, traffic may be stalled as emergency vehicles race to the scene, and drivers may be distracted by the aftermath of the incident.
In the GDOT test, CIRRUS’s V2X system detected these incidents by tracking airbag deployment or a stalled vehicle in the breakdown lane. The vehicle detection data is immediately communicated to the nearby RSUs. The RSUs not only send alerts to nearby vehicles, but quickly notify first responders and emergency services. Drivers receiving notifications can prepare to slow down, stop, or give way to emergency responders. During testing, GDOT found that this helped prevent secondary crashes, and made it easier to clear any resulting congestion quickly and efficiently.
GDOT’s V2X Future
As a proving ground for emissions management and other highway initiatives, The Ray was the perfect test zone for connected vehicle safety. This technology is revolutionizing highway safety and efficiency by addressing critical transportation challenges from rain to roadside hazards. Through real-time data sharing and proactive alerts, drivers can navigate unexpected driving situations more safely.
The result? Reduced traffic congestion means we can all get to work on time, but smoother flows and more driver awareness can help municipalities achieve Vision Zero and other safety goals. By integrating these solutions into broader roadside infrastructure, GDOT and CIRRUS are creating smarter and safer roadways, paving the way for an efficient connected vehicle future.