Swipe me! - Taxi Talk Magazine

Talking vehicles
may save lives at rail crossings
New technology by La Trobe
University to have cars and trains
‘talking’ to each other could save
an average of 37 lives every year
and an estimated 100 million dollars,
by eliminating rail crossing
collisions, especially in rural and
regional Australia.
The La Trobe system - which
will extend driver ‘vision’ up to one
kilometre in all directions - will be
trialled in 100 vehicles, the largest
known rail crossing safety study of
its kind in the world.
A $4 million project by the University’s
Centre for Technology
Infusion, in partnership with the
Australian Automotive Co-operative
Research Centre, the Victorian
Department of Transport and
Queensland University of Technology,
intends to have the technology
up and running in three years.
The project is headed by Professor
Jugdutt (Jack) Singh, Director
of the Centre for Technology Infusion.
He says the venture is at
the fore-front of a global move to
‘intelligent’ transport systems and
‘smart cars’ of the future.
It involves dedicated mobilephone-style
wireless networks, integrated
with GPS. These will run
on an international standard of 5.9
gigaherz.
Professor Singh expects new
vehicles will be able to adopt the
technology once this spectrum is
allocated in Australia. It can also
be retrofitted to cars already on the
road.
There are about nine and a half
thousand level crossings on Australian
public roads. About 2,000
are in Victoria.
Professor Singh says drivers
make a staggering number of decisions,
often in split seconds, so
project design also includes University
psychologists for human
factors research.
Department of Transport Senior
Manager Railway Crossing Safety,
Mr Terry Spicer, says the partnership
with La Trobe is helping meet
recommendations made by the
Parliamentary Road safety Committee
inquiry into improving level
crossings.
‘This technology has the potential
to significantly reduce and ultimately
eliminate collisions, injuries
and fatalities at level crossings,’ Mr
Spicer said.
Professor Singh says traditional
sensors, like radar, have limitations
for advanced transport management
systems. They have a directional
field of view and cannot see
very far into cross roads; and they
are very expensive.
‘By using the latest in wireless
technology we can create 360
degree driver awareness over a
longer range at far cheaper costs -
and at vehicle speeds of up to 200
kilometres per hour.’ D
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Taxi Talk - voice of the taxi industry SEPTEMBER 2010