Are you one of those people who puts your foot down as you approach the traffic lights in an attempt to screech through just before amber turns to red? Or are you one of the cautious ones who begins to slow down in anticipation of “go” turning to “stop?”
Audi drivers in the USA will soon have some extra information to draw on. A news report has emerged revealing that Audi is working on some new car tech that will allow vehicles to directly communicate with traffic lights.
If this all sounds rather “sci-fi,” it’s worth remembering that self-driving cars are already being trialled. Therefore, this is actually a relatively simple thing to implement in technical terms.
The technology involved is known as “V to I” (Vehicle to Infrastructure). According to the report, the technology could soon work hand in hand with the “V to V” (Vehicle to Vehicle) communication that will one day allow self-driving cars to communicate with one another.
How will cars talk to traffic lights?
So what exactly will this technology do? There are two key functions, both based on a count-down display on the car’s dashboard. One will show a countdown to the light going green, disappearing just before to allow the driver to refocus on the road. The second countdown will appear on approaching a light, notifying a driver how long it will be until the light changes to red.
Obviously, the idea is that this latter countdown will warn drivers when there’s not enough time to get through the light before it changes. However, there’s no accounting for human nature. As such, one has to wonder how many drivers will simply try to “beat the countdown!”
It seems this has occurred to Audi too. The manufacturer has made clear that this feature is for “comfort and convenience” and not for safety.
Audi A4s and Q7s are expected to appear next year with this feature on board. To begin with, it will only function in a handful of (as yet unrevealed) US cities. There’s not yet any indication of any UK roll-out.
What do you think of this new piece of car tech? Pointless? Useful? Dangerous? Let us know in the comments!
This is getting ridiculous there will be no way I will drive a self drive car I’ll sooner walk what is this world coming to
At present I might travel in minicabs and hand over control to a stranger. Travelling in a self drive car hands over control to computers. Either way I don’t have to drive in what can be very difficult traffic conditions.
My present car has auto gears and electronic engine management plus cruise control that maintains my chosen speed. All this was unheard of when I started driving.
Auto self-driving would sometimes be very welcome.
Telling drivers what the target its to beat the lights? Sounds potentially dangerous to me.
…before the amber turns to red?
You’re a bit behind the times with that question, should be “How many seconds after a light changes to red will you still run it?” The number of morons I see now running red lights several seconds after they have changed has reached criminal proportions- actually saw the resulting crash after someone in Croydon did the same.
Seems like VW group are trying to beat the system again. Promote the Audi brand as environmentally and tech friendly. How many deaths will this cause. “But I was speeding to beat the lights and save fuel officer”.
There’s a simple answer to a countdown to a traffic light for cars such as you see extensively in North America for pedestrian crossings. By all means provide a countdown to the red light but combine it with a speed camera. Anyone who speeds up to beat the countdown will then not only risk 3 points for jumping the red light but also a further 3 points for speeding. Few drivers would risk 6 points for the sake of a few seconds at a red light.
This is getting ridiculous there will be no way I will drive a self drive car I’ll sooner walk what is this world coming to
At present I might travel in minicabs and hand over control to a stranger. Travelling in a self drive car hands over control to computers. Either way I don’t have to drive in what can be very difficult traffic conditions.
My present car has auto gears and electronic engine management plus cruise control that maintains my chosen speed. All this was unheard of when I started driving.
Auto self-driving would sometimes be very welcome.
Telling drivers what the target its to beat the lights? Sounds potentially dangerous to me.
…before the amber turns to red?
You’re a bit behind the times with that question, should be “How many seconds after a light changes to red will you still run it?” The number of morons I see now running red lights several seconds after they have changed has reached criminal proportions- actually saw the resulting crash after someone in Croydon did the same.
Seems like VW group are trying to beat the system again. Promote the Audi brand as environmentally and tech friendly. How many deaths will this cause. “But I was speeding to beat the lights and save fuel officer”.
There’s a simple answer to a countdown to a traffic light for cars such as you see extensively in North America for pedestrian crossings. By all means provide a countdown to the red light but combine it with a speed camera. Anyone who speeds up to beat the countdown will then not only risk 3 points for jumping the red light but also a further 3 points for speeding. Few drivers would risk 6 points for the sake of a few seconds at a red light.