Intelligent Imaging Systems (IIS), a connected truck services company, has announced real-time traffic alerts in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). New Jersey joins North Carolina in offering the in-state alerts, which are provided through IIS’ sister company, Drivewyze -- North America’s largest provider of weigh station bypass and connected truck services.
Messages such as “Sudden Slowdown Ahead” and “Congestion Ahead” are displayed on ELDs, and other in-cab devices, approximately 2- to 3 miles before the slowdown begins, giving truckers plenty of time to slow their speed. Information is in real-time, with congestion and incident data provided by INRIX, a leader in transportation analytics and connected vehicle services. INRIX has partnered with IIS for the slowdown notifications. In New Jersey, the slowdown alerts cover 647 miles of New Jersey’s highways, including the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway.
“The ability to alert commercial vehicle drivers to unexpected traffic conditions will improve safety for everyone driving on New Jersey’s highways,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “By warning drivers of congestion that is miles ahead, drivers of large commercial vehicles will have the extra time needed to safely slow down.”
Accidents on interstates represent nearly 30% of all collisions, and many are secondary crashes where a truck or car rear-ended a vehicle that was in a queue from the initial crash.
“The New Jersey Motor Truck Association applauds the efforts to provide advance safety alerts to commercial truck drivers via Drivewyze,” said Gail Toth of the NJ Motor Truck Association. “These efforts will help to keep our workplace – the highways – safer for all.”
The INRIX traffic and slowdown alerts will join other notifications that truck drivers already receive through Drivewyze’s in-cab Safety Notification service, such as slow down alerts when coming upon dangerous curves, caution notifications when nearing a low bridge, and mountain corridor alerts for steep grades and runaway ramps.
“We’re pleased to partner with the New Jersey Department of Transportation in providing a ‘connected truck’ solution that gives truckers a heads-up on unforeseen slowdowns,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of IIS. “We’re a company committed to highway safety and we continue to expand our safety footprint across the country. Having ‘visibility’ to slowdowns ahead can help take stress away from truckers, and allow them to start slowing before they actually see tail lights turn red.”
With advanced algorithms analyzing millions of anonymous connected vehicles traveling more than a billion miles daily in the U.S., INRIX identifies and monitors traffic slowdowns to provide invaluable real-time information to truckers. “It’s gratifying to partner with IIS to offer states meaningful safety information to commercial drivers,” said Rick Schuman, Vice President of Public Sector at INRIX. “With New Jersey joining North Carolina, we expect other DOTs to follow suit and be as enthusiastic about the opportunity as we are.”
Both New Jersey and North Carolina DOTs have licensed the service through their membership in The Eastern Transportation Coalition and participation in the Coalition’s Traffic Data Marketplace.
