Technology and cars they have always gone hand in hand. Vehicles that are increasingly safer, automated and with more services and benefits. To which must be added the introduction of the electric car and automatic driving. But rarely have we been as close to the promises of futuristic fiction as we are now. Everything with an end. Save lives by avoiding road accidents. In the nearest future, ADAS systems that automate many processes and make driving safer. And in a more distant future, 2026, the cars that circulate on Spanish and European roads will be connected to the network and exchange information in real time. Thanks to DGT 3.0 (Data for Road Safety), an draft of the General Directorate of Traffic with various European agencies.
The concept of connected vehicle it was just a theory. A promise for a dream future in which your car receive and send data in real time about your position, the position of other drivers, emergencies or incidents. Vehicles connected to sensors arranged along the roads and highways that send and receive information so that the authorities can react quickly to traffic jams or accidents. The concept of smart things applied to driving. The road as an interconnected network in which thousands of devices feed each other so that everything flows correctly.
As well. We have been working for years to make this promise a reality. And technologies such as 5G, Big Data or edge computing they are going to make it possible for cars, in a few years, to be connected to the road network. AND exchange information. This way you will avoid traffic jams, accidents, take the wrong direction and reduce your fuel consumption. Or electricity, if you drive an electric vehicle.
One platform to connect it all
His name in Spain is DGT 3.0 either DGT 3.0 Connected Vehicle Platform. In Europe, the project is known as Data for Road Safety. In Spanish, data for road safety. And carmakers and traffic agencies from the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Finland and Spain are involved. Among the manufacturers, names such as Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes, Volvo and Scania stand out. An ambitious project that aims to create a road ecosystem safer. And in which more than 3,500 million euros have been invested.
Between June 2019 and October 2020, the first demonstration of this ecosystem was launched. In practice, millions of messages sent back and forth by the vehicles involved. Messages that had to do with accidents, damaged vehicles, slippery road due to storm, reduced visibility or exceptional adverse weather. Information that help the driver to take precautions. And the authorities to be alert. Also to ensure that the infrastructures are in the best conditions. And if all goes well, in 2025 it will start its implementation in cars and roads so that in 2026 everything works in a connected way.
But what exactly does it consist of? DGT 3.0? This is the name of the platform that must centralize the connected system of which they will be part highways, cars and authorities. To make it possible, it will be necessary for the infrastructure and the vehicles that transit it to integrate sensors and devices. That they will communicate via 4G or, especially, by 5G. A mobile data technology that many of us already enjoy on our phones to watch videos without cuts or video calls in high definition. Thanks to its low latency and high speed. And that sooner rather than later it should be on all kinds of devices, like traffic signals Hello road lighting.
What information will DGT 3.0 transmit
The ultimate goal of the project Data for Road Safety is to achieve zero fatalities, zero injuries, zero congestion and minimize CO2 emissions and other polluting gases. Hence the importance of DGT 3.0, which will benefit both drivers and passers-by and society in general. To do this, the information to be transmitted vehicles and infrastructure is the next:
- Third party incidents: vehicle stopped, tow truck on the road, accident, traffic cuts, events that alter traffic, adverse weather…
- Infrastructure works: traffic closures, affected lanes, works in progress…
- information forecast of V2V (V2C) sensors: fog lights, windscreen wipers, warnings…
- Variable messages such as detours, alternative itineraries, reversible lanes, retentions…
- Traffic lights: status in real time, phases, crossings…
- V-16 signals: the news emergency lights V-16which replace the triangles from July 2021. They must be connected to DGT 3.0 when it is implemented and thus inform other vehicles automatically in addition to being seen in the distance.
As we said in the previous section, all this information is collected from the sensors integrated in the road or road infrastructure and in the vehicles themselves. Once collected, it will be forwarded to the interested parties, both the authorities involved and the vehicles themselves. In practice, it is get real, accurate and instant information directly from the sources involved and without depending on whether or not you have a GPS device and/or a smartphone or a vehicle with Google Maps either Apple Maps. What’s more, the DGT 3.0 platform will be compatible and these applications will be able to feed on its data. The more information the driver and their vehicle have, the more caution and better decisions they will make on the road.
And if you are worried about your privacy or your pocket, two good news. DGT 3.0 is a platform whose services will be free. Of course, what will entail an outlay will be the adaptation of your vehicle to the necessary requirements to connect to the platform. Something that drivers are already doing in part when adapting to the new regulations on ADAS systems. On the other hand. The data exchanged in this 5G ecosystem will be anonymous and limited only to that strictly relevant information for road safety.
How will DGT 3.0 help me?
More positive news. For DGT 3.0 to work, roadside assistance vehicle operators will be required to communicate location of the damaged vehicle. Information you will receive in your car. You will also be informed when there is a ambulance in transit attending an accident. And if there are cuts or works on any public road, the infrastructure operators must inform the DGT cloud so that this information reaches the drivers in their vehicles with enough time to avoid traffic jams or surprise outages. Planned works and kilometers affected. This also affects sports events.
and at level environmental. With the exchange of information between different authorities on low emission zones, the cars will receive warnings if they comply or not with the regulations in force in advance to look for alternatives. Instead of finding out, late and badly, because of a fine, because of a piece of news in the press or because of a WhatsApp message.
Definitely. Is about centralize all information that today is scattered or that is not directly communicated. Either because the appropriate technology is not used or because there is no obligation to report something in due time. Thanks to the DGT 3.0 platform, any driver and relevant authority will be informed in real time and/or in advance to avoid jams, cuts, accidents or adverse situations.