Improving Safety Roads with LoRa Communication Devices: Features and Limitations

This paper presents a study with experimental tests toward a possible solution to increase safety in roads regarding crashed vehicles. The proposed solution system was developed combining GPS modules, accelerometers and LoRa modules for data transmission. Using LoRa technology for data transmission and other interface devices provides a very low cost solution with low energy consumption and a wide transmission range without the need for expensive satellites or mobile network antennas and or infrastructures. Using this solution, any crashed vehicle can send a warning message to all the nearby vehicles on the road with information about the exact location of the crash/collision. Nearby vehicles receiving this information can show up this information in the head up display (or infotainment or a simple alert sound) warning drivers to reduce speed and pay attention, allowing to avoid additional crashes and injuries and provide assistance eventually.