The Utah Department of Transportation is enhancing its winter road-clearing operations by installing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology in 100 additional snowplows this year. The goal of this technology is to improve efficiency and ultimately save lives by providing real-time information to drivers and preventing crashes. Utah DOT has been testing V2X technology since 2015 on snowplow routes in Salt Lake and Utah counties.
The V2X technology will connect snowplows to surrounding infrastructure using wireless sensors, allowing them to communicate with each other. This communication channel can send messages such as transit signal preemption, which extends green light times and allows snowplows to keep moving without stopping. In the future, V2X technology will also send safety messages to drivers about work zones, road conditions, and sharp curves.
Snowplow operators have expressed that preemption technology significantly improves their efficiency by allowing them to keep moving without delays at traffic lights. This not only increases efficiency but also makes roads safer for everyone. Transit signal preemption gives drivers near the snowplows more time to make safe decisions, improving overall road safety.
Utah DOT emphasizes that this technology is not only benefiting snowplow operators but also the public and commuters by making road-clearing operations more efficient and safer for everyone. The agency’s long-term goal with V2X technology is to enhance overall safety on the roads and prevent accidents during winter storms.
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