Traffic congestion is one of the main challenges facing current cities. Different groups are coming up with probable solutions though none can be termed as very effective. Intelematics, a Vehicle and mobility service provider is a company seeking to come up with a long lasting solution to this dilemma. The company in collaboration with VicRoad, is building an app that will alert driver on what speed they should be traveling at, so that they get to road junctions and intersections when the traffic lights are green. The two companies basically want to eliminate the time motorist have to wait for a traffic light to change from red to green.
According to Brian Smith, Intelematics strategic relationship general manager, traffic lights were an essential evil. Red lights particularly are a big problem but if you remove them things would be much worse. According to Smith, traffic lights are key to making driving in the city bearable. Smith notes that the app will be essential during normal traffic but in cases of heavy traffic it would have very little impact. This is so since during peak hours, you have to stop at traffic lights and wait two cycles for it to turn green.
Something worth noting is that the app is not going to have a large impact on traffic but as traffic light lighten up, people will have a smoother journey. The app would also help to lower carbon dioxide emission as well as fuel consumption since cars are not stopping.
Smith emphasized that strict rules on using mobile phones when driving would have to be upheld and the app would probably be developed in a manner that it does not encourage drivers to use it while on the road. One option that they are considering is providing audio message.
The idea has been termed great though a number of people are skeptical on how efficient it would be. Associate Professor Allison Kealy, from the Melbourne University School of engineering, notes that for the app to have an impact every driver on the road would have to go at the speed it has suggested. If people drive at 40Km/h to get to the green light while other are travelling faster to get to the same traffic light, that in itself can cause buildup of traffic congestion and cause more dangerous conditions. Also people merging from the side of the road into traffic would force vehicle to slow down to accommodate them. This could change how the model works.
Featured Image Credit:heraldsun
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