Wireless technology that will provide vehicles with real-time data on traffic conditions to help avoid jams and manage incidents is going under trial.

The A2M2 connected corridor contract will test the wireless transmission of data to and from travelling vehicles

Taking place on the M2 and A2 in Kent, the contract marks one of the UK’s first pilot connected vehicle corridors on a live road and will see smart infrastructure solutions company Costain deliver roadside technology using data supplied by TfL, Highways England and Kent County Council.

Trial vehicles will be fitted with onboard technology that will communicate with roadside units via ITS G5 wireless communication and with the service provider via cellular communication. This will convey information to the vehicle relating to road works, road conditions, temporary speed limits and the time remaining before a traffic light turns to green.  This information could then be used by the vehicle to vary speed, for example.

Information from the contract will be used to develop connected vehicle standards and facilitate a widescale deployment of connected vehicle technology.

Mike Wilson, safety, engineering and standards executive director, Highways England, said, “Having the technology in place to allow vehicles to connect to each other and the road around them has the potential to improve journeys, making them safer and more reliable by providing real-time, personalised information directly to the driver. It could also help us manage traffic and respond to incidents. The A2/M2 trial will test and demonstrate how this may work in the real world.”