Implementation and Testing of V2I Communication Strategies for Emergency Vehicle Priority and Pedestrian Safety in Urban Environments

This paper explores the development and testing of two Internet of Things (IoT) applications designed to leverage Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication for managing intelligent intersections. The first scenario focuses on enabling the rapid and safe passage of emergency vehicles through intersections by notifying approaching drivers via a mobile application. The second scenario enhances pedestrian safety by alerting drivers, through the same application, about the presence of pedestrians detected at crosswalks by a traffic sensor equipped with neural network capabilities. Both scenarios were tested at two distinct intelligent intersections in Lioni, Avellino, Italy, and demonstrated notable effectiveness. Results show a significant reduction in emergency vehicle response times and a measurable increase in driver awareness of pedestrians at crossings. The findings underscore the potential of V2I technologies to improve traffic flow, reduce risks for vulnerable road users, and contribute to the advancement of safer and smarter urban transportation systems.