Intelligent Traffic Alert System for Smart Cities

Traffic accidents are one of the main causes of sudden death worldwide. Inadequate driver response to changing road and traffic conditions leads to a higher probability of road accidents. With the rise of the concept of Smart Cities, safety and security are two important issues that need to be addressed. In this paper, we propose an Intelligent Traffic Alert System (iTAS) that warns drivers of potential dangers on the road using audio and visual alerts. The iTAS consists of transmitter units installed on the side of the road that broadcast vital information such as the speed limit, road conditions, and unexpected traffic situations to drivers in real-time over the commercial FM radio frequency band. On the receiver side, the system uses the radio already present in the vehicle to deliver audio alerts that help keep drivers informed on road and traffic conditions. The installation of an optional receiver unit inside the vehicle makes it possible to display the alerts on a LCD screen in the form of visual warning symbols. A lab prototype of the proposed system was built using off-the-shelf commercial components. The results acquired from testing the prototype were good enough to validate our approach to the design.