V2X Technology: The Future of Road Safety in Utah?
Imagine a world where cars, buses, and bikes in Utah can communicate with roads to avoid accidents. The state’s infrastructure can send signals predicting a driver may run a red light, lights can change to green when emergency vehicles need to reach a destination faster, or a bridge can tell a car to slow down to avoid an accident. This is the vision of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), and it’s becoming a reality with the expansion of V2X technology.
V2X technology in action
UDOT has been working on this technology for a couple of years, and it’s already being used on some Utah Transit Authority buses and snowplows. With the recent allocation of $20 million in federal funding, the technology is poised to expand across the state. This funding is part of a $60 million pool, and Utah is partnering with Wyoming and Colorado to make it happen.
According to Carlos Braceras, executive director of UDOT, “This is kind of a big deal. This is going to create a change in our industry.” He believes that technology is merging with transportation like never before, and this change is happening right now.
The V2X system can connect roads, traffic lights, and other infrastructure pieces to vehicles. In the future, officials hope that cars will have installed systems that can send signals if, say, they’ve suddenly stopped and their airbag is activated at a curve, so that other vehicles don’t speed near the crash.
Baltimore Bridge collapse
Shailen Bhatt, federal highway administrator, visited Salt Lake City to announce the funding. He said that while technology has transformed many things, there were over 40,000 traffic fatalities in the country in 2023 because we haven’t been as courageous or quick to deploy technology in transportation. He cited the example of the Baltimore Bridge, which collapsed in March after a container ship crashed into one of its piers. If the V2X system had been in place, it could have sent a message to all vehicles approaching the bridge, telling them to stop.
The system could also have prevented many other accidents. For example, if a car suddenly stops on the road, the system can send a signal to other vehicles in the area, warning them to slow down.
Utah Transit Authority buses with V2X technology
The Utah Transit Authority has been implementing the technology in recent years. There are 11 electric buses with V2X technology in Ogden, and the plan is to install the system in the entire fleet in five years. Jay Fox, executive director of the authority, said that combining V2X with Transit Signal Priority, a communication technology that allows traffic signals to give extra green light time to help buses that are behind schedule, would help to keep buses on time.
The safety improvements could compare to the introduction of ubiquitous technologies like airbags and mandatory seat belts, according to Braceras. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said she’s grateful for the safety factor, calling it a “wonderful thing” and a “huge advantage” for the state of Utah.
V2X technology expansion in Utah
As the technology expands, it’s likely to change the way we think about transportation. It’s a new era of innovation, and Utah is at the forefront. With the federal government’s funding, the state is poised to make a significant impact on road safety.
