Cars that talk to trams and traffic lights begin trial on Australian streets

A program trialling technology which allows passenger cars to communicate directly with other vehicles and traffic lights will soon begin on the northern edge of Melbourne's central business district.

The trial, known as the Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem (AIMES) and run by the University of Melbourne, will use two specially-prepared Lexus SUVs to test the system, as state governments look to make road infrastructure more intelligent in the coming years.

The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology – collectively known as V2X – mean cars will be more aware of traffic conditions, with the aim to significantly reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities, car accidents, and traffic gridlocks in the city.

During the trial, Lexus RX450h SUVs will be able to communicate with trams, traffic lights, and emergency vehicles within the six-square-kilometre test area, which incorporates the suburbs of Carlton, Fitzroy, and Collingwood.

Before a driver has the opportunity to see or hear what is happening ahead of them, the system could, for example, warn cars and trams of an approaching ambulance with lights and sirens, while sensors in the traffic light grid could warn the ambulance of pedestrians crossing ahead, cyclists, or a broken-down car hindering access.

Lexus and its parent company Toyota began exploring the technology's potential in 2015, and now have more than 250,000 vehicles using the technology in Japan. In Europe, buyers get the V2X tech as standard on the new Volkswagen Golf.

Special software needed to be designed by Lexus Australia engineers to address Melbourne's unique traffic rules, which includes the notorious hook-turn.

It's the second such trial to be conducted on Australian soil, with the Queensland Government also partnering with Lexus to explore the concept on the streets of Ipswich.

"These … trials build on work which was conducted in Ipswich with support from Queensland Transport and Main Roads," a spokesperson for the University of Melbourne told Drive.

"Here in Melbourne, we have huge interest from [Minister for Public Transport, Roads and Road Safety] Ben Carroll, and [the] Victorian Department of Transport is looking at the data from Queensland to inform local decisions."

Another trial recently concluded in Melbourne, which used lidar (Light Detection and Ranging Sensors) within dangerous intersections to recognise potential hazards within two tenths of a second, which could potentially be relayed to a car with V2X technology.

The test area for the new trial is bordered by Victoria Parade, Hoddle Street, Alexandra Parade, and Lygon Street.