Toyota Australia has partnered with global transport company Transurban to test new Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) designed to improve road safety and traffic flow on some of Melbourne’s busiest routes.
The trial, which began in August, uses Toyota HiLux vehicles equipped with next-generation vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology. The focus is on one of the riskiest driving scenarios—merging onto motorways—where accidents and congestion are common.
Using Transurban’s proprietary traffic management system, which employs AI-powered cameras to measure density, location, and speed, the C-ITS hardware in the vehicles receives real-time updates. These updates alert drivers about speed mismatches with surrounding traffic and warn them of vehicles in their blind spots.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, said the partnership demonstrates Toyota’s commitment to testing future-ready technologies in real-world driving conditions.
“Partnering with Transurban allows Toyota Australia to test exciting new technologies in real-world situations on some of our most frequently travelled roads,” Mr Hanley said.
“Technologies like the Merge Assist feature being trialled will help in the development of future automated driving capabilities, which will help improve safety outcomes for all, in particular on motorways.”
For Transurban, the trial reflects a broader focus on innovation and safety across its toll road network.
“We’re always looking at ways to make journeys safer and more reliable for the communities who use our roads,” said Transurban Group Executive of Operations, Dave Clements.
“This partnership allows us to explore how connected vehicle technologies can complement our existing traffic management systems to reduce crash risk and improve traffic flow.”
The test site is the inbound Cook Street on-ramp in Port Melbourne, with trials scheduled through September.
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia has previously run C-ITS pilots through Lexus, testing features such as early warnings for unseen vehicles and pedestrians, notifications of roadworks, and communication with emergency services and traffic lights.
As connected and automated vehicle technologies continue to evolve, this collaboration provides an opportunity to assess how innovations can be integrated into both current fleets and future transport systems, with the shared goal of improving safety outcomes for all road users.
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