Soon, a 'SignalGuru' tech to help drivers avoid red lights

Scientists have conducted successful trials of a new technology which could tell drivers the exact speed they should go to avoid halting at a red traffic light.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are creating a technology known as ‘SignalGuru’ with which stop-start drives would be a thing of the past and drivers can ensure they face only green lights and a smooth ride, The Telegraph reported.

The technology underwent successful trials in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where lights change at fixed intervals, and in Singapore, where their frequency is dictated by the level of traffic.

The information about when traffic lights change was gathered by fitting mobile phones to car dashboards.

Once the information is crunched, the computer is able to calculate the best speed to avoid being caught by a red light.

This is in turn transmitted back to the telephone and displayed to the motorist on a screen.

Emmanouil Koukoumidis, the scientist behind the technology said the trials have been remarkably successful, with at worst the phones being only one second out of predicting when the lights would change.