New Jersey DOT and Drivewyze offer traffic alert system for truckers

New Jersey is trying to make it safer for truckers to drive through the state with its new real-time traffic alert system for commercial vehicles.

According to a news release, the New Jersey Department of Transportation is offering in-cab traffic congestion updates and slowdown alerts to commercial vehicle drivers on 647 miles of New Jersey’s highways. That includes the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway.

Truckers will receive a traffic alert 2-3 miles before the slowdown begins, allowing plenty of time to reduce speeds.

Intelligent Imaging Systems helped develop the traffic alert system. Drivers receive information through the company’s subsidiary, Drivewyze. According to its website, Intelligent Imaging Systems provides road safety equipment and software to government transportation and law enforcement agencies.

Traffic alerts are available to all carriers and drivers using the Drivewyze PreClear software.

“The New Jersey Motor Truck Association applauds the efforts to provide advance safety alerts to commercial truck drivers via Drivewyze,” Gail Toth, executive director of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association, said in a statement. “These efforts will help to keep our workplace – the highways – safer for all.”

Inrix also had a hand in the traffic alert system development. Known for its annual Global Traffic Scorecard, Inrix provides state departments of transportation with data, including traffic and parking. Inrix’s database is being used by Nicole Katsikides, a research scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, to research the truck parking crisis.

Inrix traffic and slowdown alerts will join other notifications that truck drivers already receive through Drivewyze’s in-cab safety notification service.  That includes slow down alerts when approaching dangerous curves, caution notifications when nearing low bridges, and mountain corridor steep grades.

Only Drivewyze subscribers will have access to the new traffic alert system. So far, the system will work only within the geographical boundaries of New Jersey. However, Drivewyze may offer a similar system in other states in the future. LL