The number of ‘smart traffic lights’ is planned to double in the coming years. These automatically turn the light to green for ambulances arriving at an intersection with a siren and flashing light. There are currently 800 of these smart traffic lights in the Netherlands, and 1,000 are now being added.
What distinguishes these intelligent traffic lights from regular traffic lights is that they can communicate with ambulances. The equipment in the ambulance provides information about the location, destination and direction of the ambulance. Based on this, the traffic lights can ensure that an approaching ambulance can continue safely. It is not yet clear whether other emergency services will also benefit from this in the long term. The system is currently also used in, for example, the Flitsmeister app, which warns other road users when an ambulance is approaching.
Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure) hopes in this way to prevent accidents with ambulances. “The technology helps us to make traffic safer and more sustainable, this is a wonderful example”, says the minister. “It seems simple, but there is a lot involved. We should not miss any opportunity to prevent accidents, so I am proud of this step forward.”
Car manufacturers themselves also seem to increasingly approach traffic lights. Audi already introduced this in 2016, for example. Via the Traffic Light Information system, the car shows on the dashboard when the next traffic light on the route turns red or green. Given the explosive increase in the number of smart traffic lights, it is obvious that this type of technology will be applied on a wider scale in the near future.