Texas provides truck drivers with free traffic jam warning service

Thanks to a new agreement between the Texas Department of Transportation and companies Drivewyze and Inrix, semi-truck drivers in the state can now receive free in-cab traffic alerts that warn of sudden traffic jams based on real-time traffic data.

To provide the alerts, Drivewyze, the operator of the weigh station bypass network, has integrated its connected truck network with real-time traffic data from software company Inrix. The announcement is part of a new Smart Roadways service from the state transportation agency, a press release said.

The alerts are offered free of charge to the entire trucking industry through a service called Drivewyze Free, which shows drivers not only traffic reports but also high-risk rollover areas, low bridges and mountain warnings on telematics devices, smartphones or tablets.

The alerts appear on the devices as visual messages such as “sudden slowdown ahead” and are paired with an audible signal. They are configured to give trucks enough time to slow down or stop. While Tuesday’s rollout will cover 285 miles of Interstate 45 between Dallas and Galveston, the companies plan to monitor more than 3,000 miles of the interstate by the end of July.

With the launch of the system, Texas joins nine other states that are working with Drivewyze and Inrix to implement traffic delay alerts as part of their connected truck safety programs, the press release said. The state has been working with Inrix for several years to use the company’s data to identify the busiest roads and plan remediation projects. This includes a service called Trip Analytics, which is designed to help transportation agencies plan detour routes and optimize corridor usage.

Despite these efforts, there were nearly 4,500 traffic fatalities and nearly 19,000 serious injuries in Texas in 2022, the release said. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent report, Texas had 806 commercial vehicle-related deaths in 2021, more than any other state in the country.

“We need to develop innovative strategies to reduce the number of crashes in our state. Integrating Drivewyze Smart Roadways with INRIX alerts has the potential to significantly increase safety for truck drivers and help them avoid collisions,” said Darran Anderson, director of strategy and innovation for the Texas Department of Transportation, in the press release.

“Because large trucks require twice the stopping distance of passenger cars at highway speeds, it makes sense to provide truck drivers with tailored alerts. These alerts allow them to anticipate hazards on the road that may not always be visible. Our collaboration with Drivewyze is an exciting step to make these alerts accessible to truck drivers across our state,” he said.