Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic Blog - Scarecars, Audi is Stupid

[John the Monkey]

Scarecars

“scare-cars,” or traffic-calming scarecrows, in a small English village that apparently gets occasionally overrun thanks to sat-nav-enabled shortcut seekers. This taps into the idea that people slow for novel things, or when reminded they’re in a human place.

Audi.

“Communications modules built into each traffic light are able to send messages to cars in the vicinity, alerting them to the time remaining until their next green phase. The car’s onboard system is then able to calculate the speed which the driver must maintain in order to pass through the light during this green phase, and displays this via the Multi Media Interface display.”
In other words, the traffic lights send a signal to the approaching Audi, which then gives the driver an approach speed that will allow them to fluidly sail through the intersection, avoiding fuel-wasting stops and starts.

Lord help us if the latter indicates 50mph in a 30 zone...

 

[Nortones2]

"Lord help us if the latter indicates 50mph in a 30 zone..."

Wot: Audi to slow down?