High-tech roads of the future
HOW OUR STREETS ARE BEING UPGRADED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURISTIC TRANSPORT
The days of simple tarmac are behind us: here’s how our streets are getting a futuristic upgrade
What is a smart road? As our cars become more and more technologically advanced, it seems that the logical progression would be for our roads to follow suit. In the UK stretches of ‘smart motorways’ have already been installed up and down the country in order to help manage congestion on especially busy highways such as the M1. These roads work using one of two types of sensor. The first is a series of copper loops installed below the surface in regular intervals of a few hundred metres. Connected to a computer for processing, these loops create an electric current whenever metal – such as a car or lorry – passes over them. Collating this information, computer software can calculate the volume of traffic and its speed.
Alternatively, some smart roads are equipped with side-fire sensors, which are placed on posts on either side of the road and cast a beam bilaterally. As cars pass through the beam, information such as speed, quantity and the size of the gap between vehicles can be monitored. Using either method of data collection, a computer can autonomously alter speed limits to ease congestion and open or close lanes along the motorway through overhanging signs.
However, since these smart roads began spreading along the UK’S motorways back in 2014 there has been a rise in accidents occurring on the hard shoulder.
Sensing an increased level of traffic, these signs might automatically signal a vehicle to drive on the hard shoulder to free up congestion. However, if a car has broken down on the hard shoulder and is awaiting assistance, they are vulnerable to a collision with an unsuspecting driver who has been using the lane as instructed. As a potential solution it’s been reported that the UK government plans to stop the hard shoulder being opened as a driving lane.
There are currently around 400 miles of smart roads in use in the UK alone, with many more miles under construction. But is changing the speed limit and filtering lanes the best developers can do when it comes to upgrading our daily commute? It appears not. Across the world there has been a wash of developments in advancing the intelligence of our highways. From roads that glow to vehicle touchpad technology, our highways as well as transport as we know it, could soon be getting an upgrade.