As urbanization accelerates, those responsible for maintaining the city’s infrastructure and ensuring residents’ comfort and safety face a difficult challenge. As the number of cars increases and the volume of traffic increases, congestion, and traffic accidents become commonplace.
Meanwhile, modern cities overwhelm conventional traffic management systems with their traffic volume. Cities need to adopt cutting-edge intelligent solutions for managing traffic and making life easier for motorists, pedestrians, and passengers, which is why it’s more important than ever.
In this blog, we will look at the use cases of IoT in traffic management systems.
How IoT Is Transforming The Transportation Industry?
The Internet of Things has taken off in the last decade, becoming the backbone of the intelligent digital solutions that the logistics and transportation sectors desperately need.
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global market for managing Internet of Things (IoT) devices is expected to reach $5.1 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 28.3% expansion. The market has become highly competitive due to digitalization and the pressing need for communication and network technologies across industries, including transportation.
With these cutting-edge improvements, the city’s infrastructure is getting ready for the next technological leap, such as the widespread use of connected vehicles and the rollout of 5G. Analysts at Juniper Research predict that by 2023, more than 62 million vehicles will be able to exchange data with one another.
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How Does IoT Reduce Traffic Congestion?
People can use cameras to record traffic volumes visually, or solutions can crowdsource information from drivers’ smartphones.
To observe and track traffic congestion, solutions for this problem include installing cameras at strategic points along the roads. These platforms count vehicle volume and measure capacity using machine-learning technologies. They detect congestion, determine when it is most likely to occur, and account for external factors such as weather or accidents that may contribute to the problem.
Congestion monitors could also use Users’ phone location data to spot hotspots of users and their average speed.
Use Cases of IoT In Traffic Management System
MarketsandMarkets predicts that the global market for intelligent transport systems will grow to $30.7 billion by 2023. Businesses across the transport sector will use Internet of Things (IoT) devices, particularly in traffic congestion tracking systems, vehicle telematics systems, and security and surveillance systems.
To clarify, how does IoT function? Internet-enabled devices, known as “smart sensors,” enable two-way communication and real-time data transfer.
Cities that use smart technology to enhance their infrastructure and operations can install Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices on roads and highways. If this happens, there might be less smog, traffic, and accidents.
Traffic management has many applications of IoT. Here are a few examples of the most common ones.
1. Smart Traffic Signals
Smart traffic lights use sensors to track vehicle and pedestrian traffic in real-time, although they look similar to conventional stop signs. People often prefer to get their cars off the lot sooner rather than later. The Internet of Things enables signals to communicate with each other and adjust to traffic conditions in real time. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have tested this technology in a pilot program, and the results are encouraging. The pilot cut vehicle wait times by 40%, travel times by 26%, and projected emissions by 21%.
2. Emergency Assistance Via IoT Technology
Car accidents lead to the most deaths for people aged one to fifty-four in the United States. Despite the statistically risky nature of this activity, many people need to get into cars and drive to work or school as part of their daily routines. Internet of Things technology might increase security. Instantaneous accident reporting could reduce the time an injured person goes without care. New Orleans implemented IoT solutions across all branches of emergency response, including police, fire, and EMS.
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3. Optimized Commutes With Apps Such As Waze
Every connected vehicle becomes an IoT sensor through Waze and similar apps. Waze tracks and analyzes every road that drivers drive on. The advanced algorithm offers advice, finds the fastest routes, warns of upcoming accidents and traffic, and recommends when it’s best to set off. In a European pilot program, Waze reduced travel time by 19 percent. Reducing time spent in cars reduces emissions and improves traffic flow, just like intelligent traffic lights.
4. Smart Parking Technology
Parking in the city can cause a major hassle. Parking on the street always seems to be unavailable. Another driver arrives to take their place as soon as one leaves. Parking poses a perennial problem; the average driver spends 17 hours per year circling in vain while searching for a place to pull over. Smart parking technology is already addressing this issue. It includes apps and smart meters that notify drivers of open parking spots, allow them to reserve a spot, provide directions, and enable drivers to pay for the space remotely using their smartphones.
5. Safer Truck Driving And Fleet Management
Any business or organization that relies on vehicles to function, from delivery trucks to the emergency vehicles and school buses used by municipalities, must have essential fleet management. Internet of Things fleet management solutions make all of this possible. Internet of Things sensors can monitor important safety features, such as tire pressure, and report them to drivers. Internet-of-Things gadgets can also follow cars in real time, guiding drivers toward the quickest routes or allowing owners to monitor their vehicles remotely.
6. Cameras And Sensors
Sensors and video cameras at various locations along the road keep track of the traffic and send alerts to the various personnel.
If there are more vehicles on the road than expected, the sensors can extend the duration of the green light. IoT systems can accurately predict the number of vehicles on the road by knowing the number of motorcycles, cars, buses, and other vehicles that will leave at any given time.
When the time is right, you can send an alert to other workers in the office so they can get going when the roads are less crowded. Improving traffic management guarantees traffic flow through the Internet of Things.
All vehicles would move swiftly and continuously if this were guaranteed. If fewer cars are on the road, traffic authorities may increase the activation time of red lights to allow more vehicles to leave the building. Sensors reroute traffic and provide alternate, shorter routes in the event of an unexpected increase in vehicle volume.
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7. Smart Sanitation
A city can use IoT devices and sensor data in countless ways to better manage cleanliness, from street sweeping to waste collection.
The Internet of Things enables the active monitoring of smart traffic signals.
Functioning of IoT-based Smart Traffic Signal Monitoring
IoT-based smart traffic signal monitoring (TMS) system keep tabs on traffic flow. The system includes various components like cameras, RFID readers, wireless sensors, etc. Powerful data analytics tools link a GIS-enabled digital road map to traffic lights and control rooms to monitor traffic in real-time.
An intelligent IoT-based TMS system captures the image of traffic at the intersection using digital image processing. Wireless sensors collect information and send the results to the command center or the users.
Additionally, the system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and readers to monitor traffic and enable the recovery of stolen vehicles or the smooth flow of traffic for emergency vehicles.
Advantages of a Smart Traffic Management System
Implementing IoT for traffic management can lead to cleaner, greener, safer, and more accessible roads.
It helps in the following areas:
- Reduce street congestion and mishaps.
- Quick clearance of rescue vehicles.
- Make commutes easier and faster.
- Reduction in traffic and energy use.
- Provides real-time monitoring of critical infrastructures.
- Ensures compliance with all rules for cutting down on carbon emissions.
- Billions of gallons of fuel waste can be reduced annually.
- Recover vehicles quickly and accurately in the event of theft or misplacement.
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Challenges Of Using IoT In Traffic Management
The Internet of Things (IoT) and big data revolutionize smart traffic management and solutions, but they also have some drawbacks.
- IoT technology may worsen preexisting infrastructure issues in modern cities, such as road planning, zoning, and other construction-related issues.
- Major metropolitan areas with high-speed data transfer techniques can only use these high-tech solutions. The entire smart city could fall apart if anyone ever compromises this connectivity.
- As the number of devices connecting to the central network grows, the increasing opportunities for hackers to launch harmful attacks will be a concern. Adding another layer of security on top of the existing one will make it possible to create a smart traffic solution that is impossible to hack.
Summing up
The extensive uses and potential benefits of the IoT are many. Smart cities utilize IoT for traffic management. Improving the management and control of global cities can be achieved by integrating IoT with ideas like computer vision and AI.
A city’s functionality and quality of life depend on traffic flow. Putting information and sensors to good use in traffic control makes managing population growth easier.
IoT will play a crucial role in the continued growth, development, and integration of services and infrastructure as smart cities increase and reach their full potential over the next few years.
