A new partnership between Applied Information Inc. (AI), a provider of intelligent transportation infrastructure technology, and Wavetronix, a manufacturer of vehicle detection technologies, is set to enhance safety at unprotected left turns.

The collaboration, highlighted by a successful pilot in Peachtree Corners, Ga., showed a 25 percent reduction in car crashes along a busy four-lane highway.

Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled intelligent mobility and smart city living laboratory located in the southeastern United States near Atlanta.

Designed as a proving ground for IoT, mobility and smart city emerging technologies, the centerpiece of the lab is a three-mile public autonomous vehicle roadway leveraging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. Additional infrastructure includes intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, smart streetlights, the country’s first “IoT Central Control Room” implemented in a city and a 25,000 square foot innovation center.

Owned and operated by the City of Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab is one of North America’s only real-world testing environments and is available for use free of charge

“One of the pilot locations, on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, saw upward of six car crashes annually,” said Brandon Branham, assistant city manager of Peachtree Corners. “Since piloting this technology, police reports have shown a 25 percent decrease in accidents at this left turn location.”

Crossing lanes of traffic is a leading cause of crashes, with unprotected left turns accounting for more than half of all crashes when crossing the pathway of other vehicles, according to a federal study by the National Transportation and Highway Safety Administration.

More than one-third of all fatal motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle making a left-hand turn in front of a motorcycle.

“The challenge of the unprotected left turn is a significant one in the traffic industry. This advanced technology can contribute to a significantly better and safer world — and widespread adoption of this technology has the potential to save many lives,” said Bryan Mulligan, president and CEO of Applied Information comments.

Applied Information’s Intelligent Left Turn Solution alerts motorists when it is unsafe to make a left turn.

Radar detection, cloud computing and an advanced algorithm work together to monitor speed and trajectory of oncoming traffic, triggering warnings when it is potentially unsafe to turn. This is especially crucial in areas with obstructed views or where high-speed oncoming vehicles might cause misjudgments of traffic gaps, the companies report.

Compatible with C-V2X (Connected Vehicle to Everything) technology, the product marks a significant advancement in the potential to reduce the occurrence of unsafe left turns.

“Wavetronix’ mission is to improve the safety and efficiency of the world’s roads with technology,” says Quincy Guerra, the Wavetronix technical manager in Georgia. “Making unprotected left turns safer for drivers is a big part of that mission, and we are honored to be a part of this important project.”