3 Roadways Technologies That Make City Streets Safer

As the number of drivers continues to increase every year, the risk of accidents happening on the road is also going up. Fortunately, creating a safer way isn’t as challenging as it may seem– thanks to technology. 

 

Back in the days, we have to rely on traditional traffic devices, such as plastic Jersey Barriers, barricades, street signs, and the like. Times have changed, there are plenty of ways on how to improve safety with the help of technology, and we’re going to discuss some of those. 

 

1. Smart Pavement System 

Smart pavement system has been developed for integrated roadways. This technological innovation utilizes prefabricated concrete sections that have digital technology, as well as fiber optics. Since these are interlocking slabs, they work like the touchpad on a laptop that could sense the exact weight, position, and velocity of vehicles. 

 

Since it’s susceptible, it could easily detect if there’s an accident happening, and it would send alerts to the emergency system right away. It’s also considered to be an upgradable smart road capable of interacting with driverless vehicles and could also deliver real-time traffic conditions, and other necessary information.  

 

Even the precast concrete is pretty new in the technological world, especially in the US. What makes it lucrative is the fact that it lasts longer than regular asphalt, which means it’s very cost effective. 

 

2. Charging on the Go 

There are integrated roadways that incorporate wireless charging to its smart pavement system. Aside from that, there’s also a proof-of-concept installation of the intelligent powered lanes technology. This uses wireless technology to charge the vehicle’s battery while moving. 

 

Something like this would have an excellent effect on battery technology, mainly because it would call for minimal storage capacity as the cars and trucks would be able to charge while traveling. This would not only reduce the costs of batteries, but it would also bring down the overall value of electric vehicles. 

 

Something similar was already available in the market, and it’s a wireless technology where vehicles charge at rest. This can be compared to the mechanism used for smartphones. 

 

3. IoT to Detect Road Conditions 

By being able to control traffic and keep the roads clear, this would reduce the occurrence of accidents and incidents brought by poor weather conditions. Keep in mind, driving safety is based on the ability to assess the road surfaces, and identifying potential hazards. 

 

With IoT road sensors, real-time data can be gathered, and this would help in diverting the flow of traffic away from hazardous areas. If done correctly, this would be one of the most important developments to take place in the world of transportation.  

 

The beautiful thing about road sensors is you can easily integrate them under the roads, which makes it possible to monitor changes and be able to respond accordingly. 

 

The data collected can be used to create insights that would improve the road, and lessen the occurrence of accidents even more. 

 

The Future Is Here 

Indeed, IoT is making the future of our roads safer, but this is just the beginning, and there’s a lot more to happen. 

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