Edmonton launches award-winning driving safety app

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A new ‘talking’ smartphone app that has traffic safety at its core has won an ITS Canada R&D award and has just gone live in the province of Alberta’s capital city.

The City of Edmonton has launched a new mobile app that warns drivers of school zones, speed-limit changes and high-collision locations. The Edmonton SmartTravel app aims to help drivers avoid getting speeding tickets and prevent them from being involved in traffic collisions. It has been developed as a joint project of the University of Alberta Centre for Smart Transportation and the Office of Traffic Safety.

Through its push-notification capability, the SmartTravel app also provides real-time warnings of: weather factors, such as fog, snow or freezing rain; traffic disruptions; seasonal considerations, such as when schools are back in, or when police or parking enforcement is in operation during special events. It allows users to view maps of: school zones, speed limits and high-collision locations.

The Edmonton SmartTravel app complies with distracted driving legislation because it functions hands-free when the vehicle is in motion. The free app is available for Apple and Android operating systems, and has just been awarded the 2016 Innovation/Research & Development Award from the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada (ITS Canada) as a tool for researching changes in driver behavior.

“Have you ever wished someone would remind you of a speed limit change? This free Edmonton SmartTravel app gives drivers verbal warnings that can save them from getting tickets,” said Councilor Dave Loken. “A high-collision-location warning may save you from a crash.”

Councilor Bev Esslinger added, “The Edmonton SmartTravel app is another way that the City of Edmonton makes getting around our city safer and easier. The app contributes to Edmonton’s long-term goal of Vision Zero: zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries.”

See a video of the app in action here

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About Author

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Tom has edited Traffic Technology International (TTi) magazine and its Traffic Technology Today website since May 2014. During his time at the title, he has interviewed some of the top transportation chiefs at public agencies around the world as well as CEOs of leading multinationals and ground-breaking start-ups. Tom's earlier career saw him working on some the UK's leading consumer magazine titles. He has a law degree from the London School of Economics (LSE).