Flip the trip: putting real-time traffic light data to work for you
You know the feeling of that glorious green wave.
You’re driving, and you string together several green lights in a row. It feels like you’ve pressed a light speed button on your dash and are flying through hyperspace.
Although we sometimes appreciate catching a “green wave”, we’re more often wondering if we’ll make the next green light, or we’re sitting at a red light wondering: When is it going to change? Is there a left turn arrow? Is it broken? Does it know I’m here?
The “green wave” experience is rare. But maybe it doesn’t have to be.
Traffic lights are a mystery. I recently heard a traffic engineer describe the coordination of traffic lights as a dance that synchronizes vehicles moving through a corridor. Unfortunately, the dancers (drivers) don’t know the choreography, which changes based on time-of-day and day-of-week and the presence of other dancers.
Fortunately, new communications standards make real-time traffic light timing information available to vehicle drivers.
Finally, drivers can learn the choreography and participate in the dance
Driving with traffic light information removes much of the stress of driving. It provides answers to the questions above like whether you’ll make the green light and when the red light will change. By knowing when a red light will change, you can determine if you have time to check that message you heard come in, without being “that guy” who people are honking at because you’re staring at your phone when the light turns green. You can also know whether there’s a left-turn arrow and if it allows turns before or after the straight-through light.
In addition to reducing stress, traffic light information improves safety. You can be notified well in advance that you won’t make the next green light, rather than waiting for the light to turn yellow and making a split-second decision to go or stop. This short “dilemma (or decision) zone” is the cause of many intersection collisions due to red light running and rear-end impacts due to sudden braking.
Finally, traffic light information saves fuel, reducing carbon emissions and other vehicle pollutants. You can be advised about what speed to drive in order to arrive at the next light on green. This reduces red light stops and subsequent accelerations, which consume more fuel (and emit more carbon) than coasting through a green light without stopping. Studies have shown fuel consumption can be reduced up to 15% using “green light optimized speed advisories” (or GLOSA) alone. Corresponding emissions reductions are even greater, due to inefficiencies in catalytic converters during acceleration.
There are other emerging applications for traffic light information:
Detecting red light running and warning other drivers at an intersection.
Detecting and prioritizing freight, bicycle, and pedestrian activity.
Extending electric vehicle battery life by reducing red light stops.
Driven to distraction?
Can this information distract drivers? To address this, audio interfaces can be used that don’t require a driver’s visual attention. New vehicles and phone screen sharing technologies can present information on infotainment displays, instrument clusters, or heads-up displays, comparable to speedometers and navigation information.
Can this information lead to unsafe driving? By not providing time remaining for green lights and limiting advisory speeds to posted speed limits, drivers aren’t given incentives to drive unsafely. Systems can also monitor driver behavior and disable information when drivers are speeding.
A safer and smoother driving experience
Traffic light information helps me be less distracted and more attentive to the road. For example, last week, I was waiting to make a left and knew the light wouldn’t turn green for almost a minute. I am accustomed to waiting at this intersection and know the signal timing. As I looked at an email on my phone, I received an audible alert: “prepare for green light,” which jolted me to put down my phone and be attentive. A few seconds later, the light turned green. It was a very enjoyable experience.
CēVē enables a safer, smoother driving experience for all roadway users. If you’re interested in learning more about traffic light information, please visit www.ceve.io/traffic-lights, where you can also see if your area supports this technology.