A delicately interwoven system of processes, smart technology for traffic aid transport personnel motorists, commuters and drivers manage traffic flow and efficiency. Utilizing advanced IoT sensors, hardware, routers and cellular technology smart traffic systems can adapt control mechanisms dynamically, like traffic lights, freeway on-ramp meters, bus rapid transit lanes highway message boards, and even speed limits. They also aid in forecasting shifts in traffic demands and provide a variety of real-time information to road users.
A good example is the adaptive traffic signal system in Pittsburgh. Stephen Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) He installed his first traffic signals in a congested area of East Liberty in the city. He saw immediate results. Drivers drove 25 percent farther and spent 40 percent less time in traffic.
The system collects data from sensors that monitor the traffic flow and adjust their timing in real-time and also detecting pedestrians in intersections and allowing them time to safely traverse the street. The sensors send their raw data to a central location where it’s processed by artificial intelligent and then distributed back to the intersections using 5G-enabled mobile networks.
These systems can also permit better, more accurate modeling of risk-reducing scenarios that a human traffic planner could not accomplish and all in real-time. This is a major step towards Vision Zero, a goal of a safe, accident-free road in which cars and human beings share the road with no collisions.
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