Audi Deploys C-V2X Tech to Make Highways Safer in Virginia
Driving on the highway can be somewhat dangerous depending on where you are. From high speed limits to suddenly closed lanes and drivers being distracted, it’s a combination for a stressful situation. In an effort to make highway driving safer in Virginia, Audi partnered with a handful of companies to deploy C-V2X technology on a closed road that could benefit drivers as well as roadside workers.
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C-V2X or “cellular vehicle-to-everything” technology is a way for the systems within modern cars to communicate with their surroundings. The tech makes vehicles intuitive and alerts you when you’re entering work zones on the road. Not only that, but C-V2X can also let you know if traffic patterns are shifting and it can alert roadside workers — visibly and audibly — when cars are getting close to a work zone they’re in.
This innovative technology also builds on Audi’s existing Traffic Light Information with new red light violation warnings. Audi partnered with Traffic Technology Services to create TLI, but this new system takes safety to the next level by alerting a vehicle to slow down to avoid running a red light. In Audi’s ideal future, the technology would go a step further by slowing or stopping vehicles altogether to help prevent collisions.
Part of the reasoning behind Audi’s drive to make highways safer for drivers and roadside workers comes from statistics. In 2019, the NHTSA reported 842 fatalities in work zones, with 135 of them being roadside workers. Additionally, there were over 39,000 injuries among the more than 115,000 vehicle crashes in those same areas. Audi is hoping to continue developing smart technologies like C-V2X to get those numbers down significantly. We’ll be keeping an eye out to report on the latest updates.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.