5G represents one of the hottest new developments in technology and will soon start to be implemented around the world, reaching download speeds of 4.5 GB per second and data transmission speeds of 1.4 GB per second. These speeds are highly anticipated by private users, but they also bring major benefits for smart cities, including the field of traffic safety.
5G will feature cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communications, which allow cars to communicate instantly with other smart objects within the city, along the lines of the Internet of Things. C-V2X will allow cars to receive alerts without the use of a cell tower, via traffic lights, concerning the movement of pedestrians, poor weather conditions and other safety risks on the road.
This sort of technology is already being tested, but the great speeds of 5G will allow C-V2X to send messages faster and have stronger error correction than current technologies. These factors can be crucial for the purposes of traffic safety, as the received messages can prompt drivers to stop their vehicles or change course in order to avoid accidents, so every fraction of a second counts. The next step in technological evolution is for C-V2X systems to automatically brake in order to prevent accidents, instead of relaying the message to the driver.
In addition, C-V2X systems can also offer other solutions to a city’ s infrastructure. They can be used in order to lower traffic congestion and, as a result, lower emissions and improve commuters’ quality of life.
The original article can be found on ECN.