Drivers’ Smart Assistance System Based on Radio Frequency Identification: Enhanced Safety and Reduced Emissions in Work Zones

A work zone is an area of roadway with highway construction, maintenance, or utility-work activities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, many traffic accidents and fatalities happen in work zone areas. A lot of traditional safety countermeasures have been utilized in work zone areas including installing special signs and barriers, and posting suitable speed limits. However, these have not fully solved the problems. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a globally accepted technology, which has a great success in business management for decades, which can be employed as an advisory device to communicate vehicles with infrastructures in work zone areas. The purpose of this paper is to develop a RFID based Drivers Smart Assistance System (DSAS) to improve the traffic safety and air quality in work zone. The RFID devices would provide the opportunity to communicate between vehicles and roadside on real-time basis, which is then compensated with GPS and other sensors for dynamic traffic management. With such assistant system, suitable verbal and image warning messages will be provided to drivers when approaching work zones. Real road tests in Houston area by twenty drivers were conducted and the impacts on vehicle speed, safety and vehicle emissions were examined. Statistical results from tests show that the DSAS will help drivers to take earlier actions to decelerate and reduce speeds. Besides, this system can also help to reduce most types of vehicle emissions, and have received satisfied evaluation comments from all test subjects. It is recommended further testing and improving this promising system in even broader fields.