Last Thursday the Georgia Department of Transportation, with partners The Ray, Kia Georgia and Panasonic, demonstrated the connected vehicle environment along The Ray Highway – the 18 miles of Interstate 85 in Georgia adjacent to Alabama. Panasonic has a connected vehicle data platform called Cirrus, that can detect real-time roadway events and up safety messages on the go. Georgia DOT and Kia both have vehicles equipped with the technology, and the DOT can also transmit this data to other drivers on the road in this logistics and manufacturing corridor in west Georgia.
“It is important that Georgia DOT leads in the deployment of transportation technology that benefits all drivers, that helps to move freight across the region more efficiently and safely, and that advances Georgia as the technology epicenter of the east coast. We know that connected vehicle technology will save lives, and we are determined to see it come to life in Georgia as soon as possible,” said Russell McMurry, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation. “Today is all about the power of partnerships and what we can accomplish for Georgians when we partner with organizations like Kia, The Ray and Panasonic to advance our roadways.”
As part of the rollout of the technology, the partners are offering ride-along experiences for stakeholders. Drivers are warned of hazardous conditions on the roadway before the driver can see them – such as weather events, work zones, crashes or even hard braking. Because of that weather and hard braking feature, a weather event warning could include something like heavy rain ahead, when the driver is currently in mild rain. Both Kia Georgia and Panasonic executives noted the importance of safety for their customers, and developing technology with a purpose, rather than simply creating new gadgets for tinkering.
The Ray has long been a platform for experimentation along Georgia’s highways, though the trials going on there go beyond just Georgia and can impact national roads. The Ray has previously been involved with stormwater management efforts, solar panel tests and other sustainability efforts, which were at the heart of the start of the project from carpet magnate Ray Anderson.
“Connected vehicle technology creates an extraordinary opportunity to increase travel efficiency and driver safety, simultaneously,” said Allie Kelly, Executive Director of The Ray. “With great opportunity comes the responsibility to make investments in the physical and digital infrastructure that is necessary to enable the best that connected and autonomous vehicles have to offer. Georgia DOT and The Ray have made those investments in order to improve and modernize Georgia’s transportation infrastructure, and to offer the traveling public real time, real place warnings about critical driving conditions such as crashes, construction work zones, hard braking, and weather impacts like black ice, flooding and hydroplaning.”
