Due to weather conditions, the Florida Highway Patrol has closed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Traffic Engineering and Operations Office
|
|
What is the Connected Vehicle Initiative? |
As technology continues to rapidly evolve, travelers have grown accustomed and now expect to receive real-time information that will allow them to make informed decisions.
Currently, the trend is for travelers to use smart phones and personal navigation devices to receive traffic information. A more futuristic technology, known as connected vehicle, is emerging as the next wave of technology to further empower travelers. Connected vehicle is communication of data from vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V). Each of these communication paths provide the ability to send and receive real-time traffic conditions to/from surrounding vehicles, traffic management centers, and other transportation agencies.
The connected vehicle initiative uses leading edge technologies to quickly identify roadway hazards and alert drivers.
Among others, these technologies include:
- Wireless communications
- Vehicle sensors
- Global positioning system navigation
The United States Department of Transportation™s (USDOT) goal of zero fatalities is
one of the driving forces behind the connected vehicle research effort. Statistics show that over 80
percent of avoidable collisions could be prevented with the inclusion of connected vehicle technology.
As a result, USDOT is aggressively researching the required technologies to make connected vehicles a
reality. USDOT is targeting 2013 as the critical point at which the connected vehicle technology will
move to the mainstream. In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) plans to
rule on whether all vehicles will be required to have connected vehicle technology, specifically dedicated
short range communications (DSRC) radios, onboard. To support this ruling, USDOT has been implementing and
upgrading its Michigan testbed, revitalizing its California testbed, and establishing a Florida-based
testbed. USDOT is closely monitoring the Commercial Vehicle Integration Initiative (CVII) that is ongoing
in New York State. As the CVII program advances, it may be under consideration as an additional testbed.
The major USDOT activity is the Safety Pilot Model Deployment. USDOT is implementing a real-world experiment using connected vehicle technology. The Safety Pilot will involve approximately 3,000 vehicles, including light vehicles, heavy vehicles, and transit vehicles. It will include two corridors of signal phasing and time (SPaT) controllers, multiple RSE deployments; including dangerous curve warnings and security certificate validation testing. All of these vehicles and infrastructure will be deployed in a geographical area interacting with general traveling public. The goal of the Safety Pilot is to gather and evaluate as much real-world data as possible to support the NTSHA 2013 rule making. Following the successful completion of the Safety Pilot, USDOT is planning the rollout several smaller, regional safety pilots to begin to populate the country with connected vehicle technology.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Birriel at Elizabeth.Birriel@dot.state.fl.us
