Australia’s new ground-breaking safety trial set to take place in Victoria

Lexus is teaming up with VicRoads and Telstra to make sure your future daily commute is faster and safer than ever.

Lexus, in partnership with VicRoads, Telstra and TAC will be conducting a road safety trial in Victoria.

Your daily commute could be in for a big change.

Lexus is taking part in a new connected car trial in Victoria that aims to improve traffic flow and reduce fatalities.

The Japanese luxury brand has provided two hybrid SUVs fitted with a range of hi-tech equipment that allows cars to talk to each other.

The trial equipment, which includes an array of cameras and sensors, is designed to alert drivers of upcoming potentially dangerous situations such as another vehicle running a red light or when vehicles further down the road have stopped suddenly.

Connected cars communicate with each other improving traffic flow and alerting drivers of potentially dangerous situations.

The car-to-car technology takes advantage of super fast networks that allow for transmission of data between cars in a fraction of a second, taking advantage of the faster 5G mobile network.

Lexus Australia chief, Scott Thompson, says the trial could save lives.

“It is part of our company’s global commitment and dedication to safety first and our pursuit of a global vision to lower traffic fatalities to zero and to reduce congestion, emissions and fuel consumption,” he says.

5G mobile networks are seen as essential to making connected cars a reality.

“The essence of this connected-vehicle trial is about amplifying our ability as drivers, combining and co-ordinating the skills and strengths of the human and the machine — a seamless blend that extracts the best from both.”

Lexus Australia has previously been conducting testing on its Altona test track. But the next phase is public roads.

The study is being conducted in partnership with Telstra, VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).