Thoughts & Ideas

smart roads

30 April, 2007 (19:21) | Thoughts & Ideas

When are roads going to start using technology?  Right now, they’re just poured concrete.  Technology could make them safer, better, easier.  They could make GPS navigation more efficient.  If sensors were place on the edges of roads, it could detect a car slowly getting off onto the shoulder to replace a tire, and maybe something in the car, like an onstar system could ask if the driver needs assistance.  Or, at least check that the driver hasn’t fallen asleep at the wheel.  If the car leaves the road at a high speed, ambulances and police could be alerted instantly of an accident, and those precious seconds and minutes before someone would pass by and call it in, and try and give a location could save lives.  When deer and such come onto the road, lights could flash or even just turn on to scare it away and make drivers aware of their presence sooner.  Statistics for traffic would be available telling real time congestion and which roads are traveled more frequently.  Speeding could be enforced easier.  once cars starting matching the technology of the road system, you could track stolen vehicles, or someone else could give directions to the driver by logging into a webpage and figuring out where the other person is.  Icy or wet road conditions would be able to be tracked.  and maybe even your car could guide itselt to it’s destination.

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