The Queensland Government is preparing for driverless and connected vehicles with plans underway for the country’s largest on-road testing trial to be held in Ipswich.
In a statement last week, Main Roads and Road Safety Minister Mark Bailey announced Ipswich as the site for the large-scale test-bed to trial the vehicles and associated infrastructure.
“To realise the potential benefits of these emerging technologies, we will undertake a trial over the next four years as part of the Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI),” said Mr. Bailey.
He said the Queensland Government will recruit nearly 500 motorists to take part who will have their vehicles retrofitted with cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) technology.
“These C-ITS devices work by providing safety warnings to the driver about a range of conditions – for example, a pedestrian crossing at a signalised intersection, a red light runner or a queue ahead that isn’t visible to a driver.”
Mr. Bailey said the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads would be working with Bosch to secure some cooperative and highly-automated vehicles for testing like their first self-driving car developed in Australia which was on display at Willowbank this month.
“Our interest in testing these vehicles is to help understand the implications for our infrastructure and drivers, and the improvements to automated vehicle performance when the vehicle can talk to other vehicles and infrastructure,” he said.
“These rapidly developing technologies have the potential to significantly reduce crashes and crash-related gridlock, as well as reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use over coming decades.
Mr. Bailey said the C-ITS pilot would see the Queensland Government working with a wide range of industry sectors to adapt existing systems, infrastructure and data.
“It will also build public support and awareness, and develop new industry partnerships,” he added.
The CAVI project is co-funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission. It will be delivered with the support of a number of organisations including Ipswich City Council, Bosch Australia and QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland.
Additional industry partners will be announced as the project moves through a market engagement process.
On road testing is expected to occur in the year 2019.