Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems: The Impact of C-V2X Communication Technologies on Road Safety and Traffic Efficiency

The advancement of intelligent road transport represents a promising direction in the evolution of transportation systems, aimed at improving road safety and reducing traffic accidents. The integration of artificial intelligence, sensors, and machine vision systems enables autonomous vehicles (AVs) to rapidly adapt to changes in the road environment, minimizing human error and significantly reducing collision risks. These technologies provide continuous and highly precise control, including adaptive acceleration, braking, and maneuvering, thereby enhancing overall road safety. Connected vehicles utilizing C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) communication primarily feature real-time operation, safety, and stability. However, communication flaws, such as signal fading, time delays, packet loss, and malicious network attacks, can affect vehicle-to-vehicle interactions in cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITSs). This study explores how C-V2X technology, compared to traditional DSRC, improves communication latency and enhances vehicle communication efficiency. Using SUMO simulations, various traffic scenarios were modeled with different autonomous vehicle penetration rates and communication technologies, focusing on traffic conflict rates, travel time, and communication performance. The results demonstrated that C-V2X reduced latency by over 99% compared to DSRC, facilitating faster communication between vehicles and contributing to a 38% reduction in traffic conflicts at 60% AV penetration. Traffic flow and safety improved with increased AV penetration, particularly in congested conditions. While C-V2X offers substantial benefits, challenges such as data packet loss, communication delays, and security vulnerabilities must be addressed to fully realize its potential. Future advancements in 5G and subsequent wireless communication technologies are expected to further reduce latency and enhance the effectiveness of C-ITSs. This study underscores the potential of C-V2X to enhance collision avoidance, alleviate congestion, and improve traffic management, while also contributing to the development of more reliable and efficient transportation systems. The continued refinement of simulation models and collaboration among stakeholders will be crucial to addressing the challenges in CAV integration and realizing the full benefits of connected transportation systems in smart cities.