Since 2016 the DGT has been proposing one of its most ambitious projects: DGT 3.0. It is the Connected Vehicle Platform 3.0, a project that, on paper, looks spectacular and that it will have a direct application on mobile phones, since we can take advantage of the platform through apps.
We are going to tell you everything about this project, what is the latest news that the DGT has given in this regard and when the platform is scheduled to arrive at port, since it is a long-term process which will depend in large part on the implementation of 5G in Spain.
One central platform to connect all vehicles
DGT 3.0 is a platform that, as we read in the technical specifications, aims to create an IoT platform focused on connected vehicles and autonomous cars. You want to create a central database in which vehicles are connected thanks to the 5G network, creating a new infrastructure for mobility. Apart from allowing the DGT itself to analyze the state, traffic and operation of Spanish roads, anyone who owns a vehicle can benefit from the platform.
The DGT 3.0 platform wants to connect all vehicles: individuals, self-employed, renting and even cyclists
Private vehicles, autonomous, renting companies, insurance companies, public transport, ITV, workshops, etc. By means of DGT 3.0 they want it to be even possible to detect cyclists, pedestrians or objects on the roads. The platform will be able to send the coordinates of the events recorded by the vehicle, in turn to warn other drivers about the position of these possible obstacles. Take as an example a case of a road with a slippery pavement, explained by the DGT itself.
- Faced with slippery pavement, the car brakes sharply, activating ESP.
- This signal from the vehicle is sent to the DGT cloud.
- The DGT informs other drivers that, a few meters away, there is ice on the road.
- Cyclists, who will be able to carry geolocation systems, will know the exact point where this road is located
- Road workers (operators, cranes, etc.) will also be able to send the coordinates of their position, to indicate that there are obstacles on the road.
- In the event of an accident, the ambulance and the crashed car will send their coordinates to the rest of the drivers
How will all this information be received? The DGT affirms that it will have a National Access Point, to act as a point of connection between the data and the intermediaries that receive them. It is said that this data will be used by mobile applications, so either from a DGT’s own app or from the Waze network, Google Maps or Social Drive we can receive alerts about the state of the road, obstacles and others.
Through the mobile we will receive alerts in real time about the state of traffic, road, possible accidents, pedestrians and cyclists on the road, etc.
Similarly, a detailed analysis of the traffic situation will allow drivers to receive alerts about traffic jams in real time (with more precision than we currently have), know the status of traffic lights to trace non-stop routes) or avoid areas where there has been a recent accident. A “cloud” of traffic in a data store accessible from the phone, with information and notifications that will arrive in real time on the phone.
In short, The DGT wants to connect all mobility in vehicles through 5G, in a gigantic technological network. The DGT’s goal is “zero road casualties by 2050”, the date on which the network is expected to be completed and the number of accidents can be reduced by 80%. However, it is expected that by 2025, the date on which 5G should reach the main urban areas of our country, applications of this platform can begin to be seen.
The possible dark side of DGT 3.0
Although DGT 3.0 is a more than ambitious project and, according to the DGT, aimed at reducing traffic accidents and informing drivers, we must not lose sight of the fact that, as we read in Autobild, the DGT collected 182 million euros in fines only with radars (not counting helicopters, traffic police sanctions, cameras, etc.).
Knowing in real time the position and speed of vehicles is a powerful tool for, facing 2050, saying goodbye to radars and helicopters, since all the information is provided by the vehicle itself.
That this platform becomes a reality comes from the hand that each and every one of the vehicles in Spain are giving their position in real time
Similarly, for the privacy of the driver, pedestrian or cyclist, the DGT 3.0 platform comes to know in real time the position of each vehicle in the Spanish territory, including cyclists geolocated by GPS. These data can be requested by the insurance companies themselves, who would know exactly the kilometers we do, where we park or what behaviors we have with the vehicle.
As we anticipated, it is expected that within 4 years about 30% of the Spanish fleet is already connected, dated 2050 so that the network can finally complete the project. Despite the remoteness of the final date, the DGT hopes to start using the information on this network as the number of connected vehicles increases.