A new service for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) will use Drivewyze’s connected truck network and Inrix's data to roll out real-time traffic slowdown alerts to truck drivers.
Through Drivewyze Smart Roadways, already 285 miles (460km) of Interstate 45 between Dallas and Galveston are being monitored, providing truck drivers with in-cab alerts on sudden and unexpected slowdowns of traffic and other hazards.
By the end of July, over 3,000 interstate miles (4,830km) in Texas will be monitored. Texas joins nine other states using Drivewyze and Inrix traffic slowdown alerts as part of their connected truck safety programmes.
The in-cab alerts, using visual messages such as “sudden slowdown ahead” along with an audible chime, allow ample time for drivers to slow down or stop.
The latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report in 2021 showed Texas had the most fatalities involving commercial trucks of any state, with 806. In 2022, there were nearly 4,500 motor vehicle traffic fatalities and nearly 19,000 serious injuries in Texas, which equates to a traffic death nearly every two hours.
“Given that large trucks travelling at highway speeds necessitate twice the stopping distance compared to passenger vehicles, it is prudent to provide targeted alerts tailored to truck drivers,” said Darran Anderson, TxDoT’s director of strategy and innovation. “These alerts empower them to anticipate road hazards that may not always be visible ahead.”
Traffic slowdown alerts are offered to the entire trucking industry at no cost. Any commercial truck driver or fleet can access the alerts free of charge through a recently introduced service called Drivewyze Free. This allows fleets and drivers - using telematics devices, smartphones or tablets - to receive an essential set of in-cab safety alerts and advisories in advance of potentially risky areas on the roadway.
Drivewyze Free includes access to agency-sponsored real-time traffic slowdown alerts and other alerts and advisories generated in partnership with select state transportation and enforcement agencies. In addition, core messages include Drivewyze sponsored alerts and advisories for hazards such as high-rollover risk areas, low bridges and mountain alerts, including steep grade ahead, chain-up/brake check stations and runaway ramps.
“Over the past decade, Drivewyze has invested in the in-cab-infrastructure and partnerships that allow state transportation agencies to communicate directly with drivers,” said Brian Heath, chief executive of Drivewyze.
“Our Smart Roadways services, which include alerts for upcoming traffic slowdowns, active workzones, and parked service vehicles, amongst others, allow these agencies, for the first time, to extend their transportation safety programmes into commercial motor vehicles.”
Drivewyze delivers in-cab services to commercial fleets and drivers, including the Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass service and Drivewyze Safety+ proactive safety alerts. Drivewyze Infrastructure Services provides solutions to state agencies, including Smart Roadside commercial vehicle enforcement electronic screening, Central Park truck parking management and Smart Roadways connected truck solutions.
Since 2004, Inrix has been offering intelligent mobility solutions that transform vast amounts of data from connected devices and vehicles into valuable insights.
