Since the start of the school year, cities and police forces have been trying to better secure school zones which are too often the scene of dangerous driving. In support, Audi is putting forward a tip of an ingenious solution to add a layer of safety around school buses.
Working in conjunction with the American bus manufacturer Navistar, the German brand has developed a system operating with Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) technology. When the vehicle approaches a school bus with a deployed stop sign, a notification appears in its instrument screen. This notifies the driver of his presence, even if he is not in his field of vision.
On the other side of the communication channel, the bus driver is also alerted of the imminent arrival of the vehicle by means of a screen attached to his dashboard. The system can even indicate if the motorist is traveling too quickly to come to a complete stop, which gives him time to take the necessary precautions when children get out.
Audi explains that this technology provides a communication link 10 times per second at a distance of up to 91 m. Without being a panacea, this technology could nevertheless save lives, which greatly justifies its existence.