Honda Motor Co. has revealed their success in developing technology that can analyze driving patterns and potential congestion to determine if the driver will contribute to traffic jams. The technology is based on the fact that driving patterns are affected by the acceleration and braking of other vehicles, and that congestion can result. Set to begin testing on public roads this summer in Italy and Indonesia, Honda hopes to begin implementing the technology in its cars in the near future.
Early testing experiments were conducted with cooperation from the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo. In using the new system to analyze potential increases in traffic congestion, results showed that average speed could be increased by as much as 23% and fuel usage in 8% of trailing vehicles was improved.
The technology’s goal is different from navigation systems which aim to help the driver avoid already existing traffic jams. Instead, driving patterns like acceleration and braking are analyzed to see if the driver is more likely to contribute to creating congestion. Through the car’s display system, drivers can be warned to adjust driving patterns that will affect trailing vehicles. By reducing repeated accelerating and braking for all cars, it can minimize the chances of congestion.