Traffic Safety

As the volume of traffic continues to increase in urban areas throughout the country, traffic safety has become a significant challenge. With more vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists sharing congested streets and crowded intersections, the number of motor vehicle accidents inevitably increases and the safety of pedestrians and bikers is jeopardized.

Smart city traffic management holds great promise for improving traffic safety while offering a host of other benefits to urban environments. Smart city traffic solutions use data collected from sensors, cameras, connected vehicles, GPS applications, mobile devices, emergency vehicles, public transportation and other sources to produce a real-time understanding of the volume and flow of traffic throughout the city. By analyzing this information in near-real time, cities can take action to alleviate congestion, route traffic around problem areas, provide drivers and commuters with alternate routes, and improve traffic safety as well as protection for bicyclists and pedestrians as they share city streets with vehicles.

Smart traffic management solutions for improving traffic safety rely on a variety of technologies.

• Sensors that detect and track the movement of pedestrians and bicycles, combined with image processing and algorithms, help to calculate trajectories and the potential for contact with vehicles in the street. By communicating with drivers through digital signage and onboard navigation/information systems, intelligent traffic management systems can help to prevent accidents and increase traffic safety.
• Smart traffic lights help to improve traffic safety by relieving congestion at crowded intersections and managing the flow of pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles more efficiently. Smart traffic lights use real-time data about the number of cars waiting to proceed through the intersection to adjust the duration of traffic signals, minimizing wait times and avoiding the frustration and congestion that can lead to distracted driving and accidents, helping to increase traffic safety.
• Smart traffic management also enables emergency vehicles to move through the city more rapidly, without creating the kind of chaos that frequently compromises traffic safety.
• Smart traffic solutions can provide drivers with up-to-the-minute information about dangerous road conditions due to weather, accidents and traffic stoppage ahead.

Benefits for traffic safety and quality of life

Smart traffic management solutions offer cities a wide variety of benefits that include:

• Greater traffic safety, thanks to a reduction in congestion, less frustration for drivers, better signage that protects pedestrians and bicyclists, and early warnings for drivers about problem areas like black ice, stopped vehicles and other dangerous conditions.
• Shorter commute times, enabling city residents and commuters to spend less time on the road and more time on productive work or on activities that increase commercial and economic vitality.
• Higher quality of life thanks to less congestion on city streets, fewer greenhouse emissions in the air, and greater traffic safety for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Reduced costs for fuel, insurance, and maintenance and repair on overused city infrastructure.

Connectivity for improving traffic safety with smart solutions

To increase traffic safety in urban environment with smart technology, cities need a foundation of high-speed connectivity that can connect a myriad of sensors and IoT-enabled devices, transmit that data to an IoT analytics platform, and communicate the intelligence produced back to drivers, digital signage and smart traffic signals – all in real time or near-real time.

To provide cities with the connectivity they require for smart solutions to improve traffic safety, Spectrum Enterprise has built a national fiber network that spans more than 840,000 miles. With an another $25 billion to be invested in additional capacity and capabilities by 2021, Spectrum is the ideal partner for cities seeking to implement smart technologies nationwide.

To support traffic safety and smart traffic technology, Spectrum Enterprise also provides:

• High-performance connection speeds up to 100 Gbps on a two-way, fully interactive digital network for local governments and enterprises.
• Gigabit connections for homes and businesses within the Spectrum service area, enabling residents and business owners to participate fully in smart city solutions.
• Cellular connectivity – essential to the diversity of connection protocols required for smart solutions – through Spectrum Mobile, one of the largest cellular LTE networks in the nation.
• Over 350,000 WiFi hotspots, soon to offer wireless connection speeds up to 1 Gbps.

Learn more about Spectrum Smart Cities at www.spectrumsmartcities.com.