Cities are using smart traffic technology to cut down on energy consumption and improve road safety, as traffic congestion in urban areas becomes an increasing problem. This helps passengers and drivers save time, reduces emissions, and reduces traffic jams.

The technology behind it is built on both software and hardware. The former provides the executing subcomponent, while it is used as the command and control center. Both are equipped with the latest sensing technologies and processing like ANPR (automotive plate recognition), which captures data about vehicles’ movements and is able to detect road signs.

Depending on the solution, smart traffic lights are able to process data on the device or transfer it to a cloud. This type of solution allows for more sophisticated modeling and analysis to reduce traffic congestion and coordinate public transport schedules. According to Carnegie Mellon technologytraffic.com/2020/05/01/modern-traffic-technologies-by-board-room University, this can reduce average travel time by 25 percent, and wait times for signals are cut by 40%, and emissions are reduced by 20%.

A smart traffic light system as well as reducing the amount of time traffic signals take to operate it can also improve the flow of pedestrians as well as of micromobility vehicles, such as e-bikes or e-scooters. This is due to the fact that they are often unable to follow the traditional preemption rules. In London E-scooter accidents increased by 2,800% in the first half of 2021. Therefore, it is crucial to include them in traffic light control.