Audi Gets the Green Light

Over the past couple of years, German car maker Audi has been putting a lot of effort into developing innovative technologies that are intended to improve the overall driving experience and make roads safer. They have developed advanced LED technology, night-vision assistant, a piloted-parking system, as well as the MMI infotainment system, which make Audi one of the most innovative car manufacturers in the world. Now, they want to take your driving experience a step further, with a piece of technology that is first of its kind, and is expected to be well received by drivers, but not so much by the authorities and law enforcement agencies.

It's called Traffic Light Assist, whose main goal is to help drivers get as many green lights as possible, which seems as a very convenient and practical feature at first glance, as it can help drivers get to their destination faster, and avoid waiting at red lights, which many people find annoying, but it raises a lot of safety concerns, since people who have such a feature in their cars would probably drive much faster.

The Traffic Light Assist was introduced at this year's CES in Las Vegas, where Audi demonstrated the system in an A6 sedan. It can analyze traffic light data, as it is integrated with the city's traffic signal system, and receive information about local traffic light patterns and timing, which is transmitted over a Wi-Fi connection. This means that the system does not have to use a camera to monitor traffic lights and inform you about light changes. Using the data from the local traffic signal system, the Traffic Light Assist can predict how long a red light lasts and when it's going to turn green.

The car tells you whether the next light is green or red through a traffic light icon on the center display, along with a countdown timer, informing you how much time you have before the light changes. This way, you always know whether the next light is green or red, and how long you will have to wait before it turns green. Also, it helps you adjust your speed, slowing down in case the next light is red, so that you don't have to come to a complete stop, or accelerate and try and catch a green light. Another convenient thing about the system is that it is integrated with the car's start/stop system, allowing the car to automatically turn the engine on and off when waiting at a red light, which can help save a lot of fuel.

However, if car makers are allowed to build this type of feature in their vehicles, it could lead to serious safety issues, as it would probably prompt drivers to hit the gas pedal often in efforts to hit every green light on their route, which is likely to increase the number of collisions, resulting in many injured drivers and pedestrians. That's why law enforcement agencies will probably not be too happy about the idea, and Audi will have to work very hard to convince authorities to give them access to their local traffic control systems.