As urban traffic congestion becomes a major challenge cities are turning to smart technologies for traffic to increase the safety of roads and cut down on wasted energy. Among other things, this can help to cut down on time for drivers and passengers as well as reduce emissions and reduce traffic congestion.
The technology behind this is based on two main components: Hardware and software. The first is the subcomponent that runs, and the second is the command and control center. Both are enhanced by advanced technology for sensing and processing for example, like ANPR (automotive plate recognition), which captures data about vehicle movements and can identify road signs.
Based on the type of solution, smart traffic lights may process data on the device or transfer it to a cloud location. This type of solution offers more sophisticated analysis and modeling to reduce traffic congestion and to harmonize public transportation schedules. According to Carnegie Mellon University, this can cut the average travel time by 25 percent, and wait times for signals are reduced by 40%, and emissions are cut by 20%..
A smart traffic light system as well as reducing the delays of traffic signals and improving the flow of pedestrians as well as of micromobility vehicles, such as e-bikes or e-scooters. They aren’t able to adhere to traditional traffic law regarding preemption of signals. In London the e-scooter accident rate increased by 2,800% over the first half of 2021. It is therefore crucial to include them in traffic light controls.
