West Nexco and Nissan to Increase Safety with Phones

Nissan and West Nippon Expressway ( NEXCO ) have joined forces to research systems that could help prevent accidents and provide drivers with realtime information. The joint project counts on the widespread of mobile phones. Using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and a detailed map database, the system warns drivers about a number of potentially dangerous situations and road conditions.

The new GPS module will also help warn drivers if they are going the wrong way on a ramp near a service area or interchange. The new road information system will use telematics to help warn drivers about unintended speed changes on ramps and long downhill stretches to help prevent accidents and congestion, by displaying messages such as “Beware of speeding" or "Beware of slowing" on the car's navigation display.

The Probe Data Driver Assistance will help drivers on expressways, giving them information about weather and road conditions. Nissan and West NEXCO will also use it to warn drivers about traffic jams. Nissan brings to the project its experience it had working with both the SKY project, a vehicle communication system linked with traffic infrastructure to help reduce accidents at intersections, and an information system that provides drivers with information on pedestrians' behavior.

This system works by using both the car and the GPS phone held by the pedestrians in order to determine their relative positions to each other. Nissan has also established a service that warns drivers of icy conditions ahead. This announcement comes after Nokia, NAVTEQ and UC Berkeley decided last year to enable GPS mobile phones to act as traffic sensors by sending data to a server.