Ford testing smart traffic lights for emergency vehicles

Ford is testing connected tech for traffic lights that could save lives.

The company’s European arm has been working on trials of traffic light systems that automatically go green when they’re aware of ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles approaching.

It’s hoped the tech can eliminate potentially fatal delays at junctions as first responders race to emergencies – and also reduce the risk of accidents on the occasions they have to drive through red lights.

Ultimately, the tech could provide the basis for a system that improves traffic flow for all road users.

The tests were conducted on a road in Aachen, Germany, with eight sets of traffic lights, including two stretches with three consecutive traffic lights just outside the city.

A Kuga plug-in hybrid equipped with C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle to Everything) tech was used in two different test scenarios – as an ambulance and an everyday passenger vehicle. The Kuga was fitted with on-board units (for communicating with the infrastructure) and rapid control prototyping hardware (for running the prototype software in the vehicle).

In its role as a first responder, the Kuga signaled to the traffic lights to turn green on its approach. Once it had passed through the junction, the traffic lights returned to standard operation.

To read the complete article, visit IoT World Today.