Plans are underway to establish a cooperative vehicle and infrastructure test-bed in Ipswich.
The Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI) has been developed by the department to prepare for the emergence of advanced vehicle technologies onto Queensland roads.
The Initiative will incorporate two projects – a large-scale pilot of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) in Ipswich, and the other involving a small number of cooperative and highly automated vehicles driving on selected roads across South East Queensland roads.
C-ITS improves the quality and accuracy of information available to drivers about the road environment and other vehicles, such as a pedestrian crossing at a signalised intersection, a red light runner or a queue ahead safety warnings.
These rapidly developing technologies have the potential to significantly reduce crashes and crash-related gridlock, as well as reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use.
Ipswich has been chosen for the C-ITS pilot due to its support for technical innovation and the presence of major employers, an active CBD and its location to an existing managed motorway – all requirements for the project.
The planning phase of the pilot is currently underway, and once completed will see around 500 public and fleet vehicles retrofitted with C-ITS technologies, interacting within the infrastructure test-bed as part of the four-year project.
The department will work with wide range of industry sectors to adapt existing local systems, infrastructure and data as part of the C-ITS pilot project.
The department is finalising an agreement to secure the cooperative and highly automated vehicles that will be used to test the readiness of Queensland infrastructure, assess driver behaviour and vehicle performance on selected roads across South East Queensland.
Whilst industry is leading the development of advanced vehicle technologies, the success of these will also rely upon connecting to existing traffic systems. It is important to understand any risks with these new technologies and validate the potential impacts and benefits in advance of wide-scale deployment.
The CAVI project is co-funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission, and will be delivered with the support of a number of organisations including Ipswich City Council, Bosch Australia and QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q).