Drivewyze, operator of the largest public-private weigh station bypass network in North America, has partnered with the Georgia Department of Transportation to provide Inrix real-time traffic alerts through Drivewyze’s Smart Roadways service. In addition to Georgia, congestion and slowdown alerts are currently available in North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, covering more than 3,500 miles of the most traveled freight corridors, according to a Drivewyze press release.
Smart Roadways extends public transportation safety programs into the cabs of connected trucks throughout their road network. Drivewyze will be announcing more states soon.
The Georgia alerts, available at no cost to commercial truck drivers, cover more than 500 miles of roadways, including along I-75, 1-95, and I-16.
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Truck drivers face unique challenges responding to unexpected traffic events due to the size, weight, maneuverability, and extended stopping distances required of trucks. Fully automated messages such as “Sudden Slowdown Ahead” and “Congestion Ahead” are displayed 2 to 3 miles before the slowdown begins on in-cab equipment like electronic logging devices (ELDs) that are always on and have the Drivewyze platform installed.
“With nearly 3 million trucks integrated to the Drivewyze platform, state agencies can depend on these in-cab safety messages having a positive impact on highway safety,” said Brian Heath, CEO of Drivewyze. “When you consider that 30% of all crashes are on interstates—and many are secondary incidents where a truck or car rear-ended a vehicle that was in queue from the initial crash—it highlights the importance of these alerts,” Heath said.
Real-time congestion and incident data are provided by Inrix, a provider of transportation analytics and connected vehicle services, which uses algorithms to analyze millions of anonymous connected vehicles traveling more than a billion miles daily in the U.S.
In a pilot test in the Atlanta area that compared drivers who received and didn’t receive alerts, results showed a 10-16% reduction in hard braking incidents.
“We recognize real-time safety messaging as a key strategy to minimize crashes due to unexpected slowdowns,” said Ben Lempke, assistant state ITS engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation. “This messaging becomes even more critical when you factor in the additional stopping distance required for trucks and the seriousness of truck-involved accidents. Our partnership with Drivewyze has been influential in our goal to deliver safer roadways for all travelers.”
The congestion and slowdown alerts join other public safety notifications that truck drivers already receive through Drivewyze’s Safety Notification service, such as dangerous curves, low bridges, and mountain corridor alerts for steep grades and runaway ramps.
