Audi’s new feature helps drivers avoid red light by suggesting speeds

Easing lives for people and helping them avoid traffic frustration and red lights, automaker Audi has decided to introduce a system that automatically suggests speed for the driver.

German automobile manufacturer Audi cars were already able to tell a person how long a red light will last, but now it is helping them avoid red lights altogether by implanting a system with speed recommendations.

The ‘Green Light Optimization Speed Advisory’ (GLOSA) system provides the driver with recommendations for speed to reduce the amount of time they spend at red lights. The Traffic Light Information (TLI) technology unites the car’s position and traffic light data in order to calculate an ideal speed, reported Popular Science.

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The ideal speed limit and a light change countdown shows up on the vehicle’s heads-up display, dashboard display, or both. With this feature, the driver can save time by driving slightly slower and catching up to an uninterrupted string of green lights.

Audi gets the information wirelessly from traffic signals that have been upgraded to support vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. These lights send their status to the municipalities that operate them and those local governments relay the data to Audi’s technical partner, Traffic Technology Services (TTS). TTS further provides that information to Audi and it forwards it to the cars using their built-in 4G LTE cellular connections.

Both the features of speed suggestions and TLI are available as part of an Audi Connect Prime feature on 2017 and newer models outside of the A3 and TT, however, only limited to certain areas. TLI is currently available in 13 urban regions including Dallas, Denver, Gainesville, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, DC.

Furthermore, according to Engadget, this technology can prove to be handy in future. Future upgrades to the TLI could include using the car’s automatic stop/start system to restart the engine when a red light turns green.