Real-Time SDN–IoT Integrated Framework for Intelligent Emergency Vehicle Prioritization in Smart Cities

Urban traffic control has become increasingly complex with rising vehicle density, particularly in smart cities. Timely arrival of emergency vehicles is critical, yet existing systems relying on manual transmitters and sirens offer limited range and effectiveness. This paper proposes a real-time intelligent traffic management framework integrating Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, and the Edge of Things (EoT)—a paradigm combining edge computing with IoT to enable low-latency processing at the network edge. The framework connects the SUMO traffic simulator and Veins vehicular network framework via TraCI, with the RYU SDN controller dynamically adjusting traffic signals and vehicle routes for emergency vehicle prioritization. Simulation results show that the system reduces emergency vehicle travel delay by 38%, decreases intersection waiting time by 42%, and improves overall traffic throughput by 25% compared to conventional control. These results demonstrate the framework’s scalability, responsiveness, and potential for deployment in real-world smart city infrastructures.