NXP

Cooperative ITS Corridor has completed the ‘Communicating Cars’ test drive with leading industry partners and government officials from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.

During the event, a convoy of five Honda smart cars started its drive through 1,300km of roads along the Cooperative ITS Corridor, which included ITS test fields in Munich, Vienna and Helmond.

The cars had been fitted with NXP secure communications technology, which helped in improving road safety and traffic flow.

Bavaria minister of the interior, building and transport Joachim Herrmann said: "The earlier a driver is informed of an existing traffic jam on the motorway or of an accident, and the more the driver knows about the traffic flow and the current weather conditions on the road, the fewer accidents will occur."

"The Cooperative ITS Corridor initiative is an excellent example of European public-private partnership in action."

Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen said: "The Cooperative ITS Corridor initiative is an excellent example of European public-private partnership in action.

"The ‘Communicating Cars’ trial has been a living, breathing example of how we can all work together to make traffic in Europe smarter, safer and greener."

The event saw the coming together of companies such as NXP, Siemens, Honda, Cohda Wireless, TÜV Süd, automobile clubs AvD and ANWB, along with politicians who worked together to enhance European traffic.

NXP executive vice-president and general manager of automotive business Kurt Sievers said: "Our ‘Communicating Cars’ initiative demonstrated clearly how we can work with industry leaders and governments to make traffic smarter and safer on European roads.

"The support our ‘Communicating Cars’ initiative has received from ministries, motorway operators and the automotive industry across Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, combined with our industry-leading secure V2X technology, pave the way for fast deployment of intelligent transport systems across Europe in 2015."

Image: The ‘Communicating Cars’ test drive saw a convoy of five Honda smart cars start its drive through 1,300km of roads across ITS test fields in Munich and Vienna to Helmond. Photo: courtesy of NXP.