UK Connected Intelligent Transport Environment (UK CITE)

A 40-mile stretch of Midlands roads and city streets is being turned into a live test track for cars that talk to traffic lights, road signs, and each other. The UK Connected and Intelligent Transport Environment (UK CITE) installs roadside communications equipment along the M42, M40, A45, A46, and through Coventry city centre. Vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators can then bring their connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to this real-world laboratory and test how they interact with the infrastructure—known as vehicle-to-everything, or V2X, technology. The project also builds cyber-security into the system from the start. The problem is that today’s motorway warning systems rely on expensive overhead gantries. If a connected car can instead receive a warning directly and either alert the driver or brake automatically, the same safety benefit could be delivered at far lower infrastructure cost. The project will simulate the impact of V2X across the entire UK road network, using trial data to identify where investment delivers the most improvement in safety and traffic flow. If the trials succeed, the UK gains a world-class research asset that attracts R&D investment—and a blueprint for upgrading roads without digging up every junction.