CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, PA, USA. A group of researchers have just patented an algorithm that directs traffic at busy intersections. The method being used for this new traffic solution is through dedicated short-range communications. it allows drivers to quickly exchange information on their number and the actual direction of their travel as they approach the intersections.

An in-car green light is given to the largest group of vehicles while a red light is given to car drivers in the other cluster which means they have to wait until the biggest group of cars has passed through the intersection. The next biggest group is given the green light then. It basically gives the biggest group of cars in an intersection the right of way to avoid heavier congestion.

We have been used to equally-timed traffic lights for each way in an intersection. However, this method may not be 100 percent effective for intersections with uneven volume of cars especially during rush hour. It only causes a major build-up of vehicles in the side of the street which has more cars.

Telecommunications researcher Ozan Tonguz has studied the way ants, bees and termites communicate right of way despite their number in busy colonies and hives. Studies have also proven that the average driver actually spends at least a week every year stuck in street traffic. The new method has been in simulation for the past 3 years and so far, the system has reduced the commute time between 40 to 60 per cent for urban workers during rush hour.

Since the project started in 2009, it has attracted at least $2 million in funding which mostly came from private groups and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Right now, the team of researchers are also making the algorithm friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists at intersections. The system is scheduled next year for a large-scale testing.