Smart highways will make road transport safe, smart and as a comfortable experience.
What are smart highways?
‘Smart roads’ or ‘Smart highways’ will use digital sensors to acquire data pertaining to landslides, accidents, traffic jams and weather conditions.
It will activate warning systems in time and enabling active LED displays on roads and highways.
Which can monitor traffic with an array of intelligent transport systems and is also able to assist motorists in distress.
The Eastern Peripheral Expressway is India’s first smart highway with highway traffic management systems (HTMS) and video detection systems (VIDS) to relay the information collected.
What are the thematic approaches of smart highways?
Communication - Smart-road-to-vehicle communication will serve as the foundation for safe, connected, autonomous vehicles of the future.
Cameras and sensors will allow digital signage allowing drivers to vary their speed accordingly or take alternative routes.
Convenience - The idea of smart lighting solutions for roadways relies on piezoelectric crystals placed below the surface of asphalt used on roadways.
The electrical energy harvested is sufficient to power smart lighting poles on highways, freeways and rural roads, and are extremely helpful in foggy or heavy monsoon-prone areas.
Safety - In a quest to improve safety on highly risky mountain roads and highways in India, ‘Smart Life’ poles were developed.
The system uses these poles to communicate with each other and exchange data on incoming traffic just before sharp turns and hairpin bends.
These poles gauge the speed of vehicles and alert drivers of approaching traffic by sounding a horn.
What are the advantages of smart highways?
Smart highways are a crucial link in improving road transportation landscape in the country.
It is a splendid solution for less-travelled highways, providing night visibility on demand and proving the best for road safety.
It promises to fight against congestion and carbon emissions and can serve as viable sources of renewable energy.
It can yield significant improvements in the driving experience.
