UK city to test traffic congestion technology

Newcastle University in the UK, along with the Newcastle City Council, have developed a new technology to reduce traffic congestion. The new satellite navigation technology which will be tested in the city will enable motorists to adjust the speed of their vehicles in order to pass through a series of traffic lights on green. The project which is designed to ease traffic flow during peak hours will connect an in-vehicle communication system directly with the city’s urban traffic management control (UTMC) centre, to keep traffic moving. A unique feature of the technology is that the information will be directly given to the driver. An example of such information would be if a driver travelled at 24 miles an hour they would hit the next four sets of traffic lights on green. The system will also warn drivers of approaching hazards, such as an accident or a reckless driver. A forward collision warning informs drivers of obstacles on the road while a red light violation warning tells drivers when someone on the road ahead has jumped a red light. The Newcastle pilot is a part of a ?10m project called Compass4D, involving seven European cities: Bordeaux in France, Copenhagen in Denmark, Eindhoven-Helmond in the Netherlands, Thessoloniki in Greece, Verona in Italy, Vigo in Spain, and Newcastle in the UK.