Wireless Sensor Networks Help to Improve the Traffic Safety in Residential Communities

The traffic safety in residential communities is becoming increasingly important. A satisfactory traffic safety can be achieved through engineering, education and enforcement. As part of the engineering approach, both active and passive strategies should be adapted. This paper presents a study on how the overall traffic safety of typical residential communities can be improved by using wireless sensor networks. A simulator was developed for use in this investigation. It was based on the results of surveys on the driving habits of the drivers in different categories and on the traveling behaviors of people within typical residential communities. Using a wireless sensor network can influence both how people drive and how people travel in residential communities. Therefore, as demonstrated by the simulation study presented in this paper, the traffic safety in residential communities can be improved by appropriately using wireless sensor network in the traffic control