- A project sponsored by SEAT, the Spanish Traffic Authority (DGT), the Barcelona City Council and ETRA (Electronic Trafic) connects vehicles with traffic lights and information panels via the DGT 3.0 platform
- Drivers receive an advance alert on the status of upcoming traffic lights so they can adapt their speed accordingly
- Traffic information will appear in real-time on screens in cars
SEAT, in collaboration with the Spanish Traffic Authority, the Barcelona City Council and ETRA successfully connects vehicles with traffic lights and the traffic control center so drivers can anticipate their upcoming status. This project also enables information on motorway incidents to get sent directly to vehicles without the need for information panels, bringing cars and infrastructure together via the cloud using cellular technology with latency times of 300 milliseconds.
Vehicles connected with traffic lights and road infrastructure
The vehicle used in this pilot project is equipped with the necessary technology to connects with its surroundings and receive information uploaded by the Traffic Authority to the cloud, which in turn enables the driver to anticipate what lies ahead in real-time.
Start slowing down, it’s about to turn red
Traffic light sends a signal to the Traffic Authority’s cloud about the current status and the time when it is going to change. This information is then sent to the car, which interprets it and alerts the driver of the upcoming status depending on the speed of the car.
How does it work?
When a vehicle is approaching a traffic light, an alert appears on the screen showing whether it will be red, green or yellow when it arrives, as the system performs a calculation based on how far away the car is and the speed it is traveling at. One important note for safety is that it only works as long as the vehicle is not exceeding the speed limit. On the contrary, the system will no longer alert the driver.
Information panels in your car, too
Today there are 2,000 information panels that provide drivers with traffic and weather conditions or information about road work or accidents. With this system, all of this information is displayed directly on the screens of connected vehicles at any point of the road network.
More safety and efficiency
The more information you have, the fewer situations of risk you run. This is the goal of the project, which puts road safety at the center, together with greater driving efficiency.
