Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University in the UK have developed a new technology in order to reduce city centre congestion and pollution related to stop-start driving.

With the help of the new sat-nav technology, which is set to be trialled in the city, motorists will be able to adjust the speed of their vehicles in order to pass through a series of traffic lights on green.

Designed to ease traffic flow during peak hours, the new project will connect an in-vehicle communication system directly with the city’s urban traffic management control (UTMC) centre, to keep traffic moving.

Newcastle University Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems Phil Blythe said that the city already has various traffic management systems in place to improve traffic flow, but this trial is unique as the information will be directly given to the driver.

"The system might advise a driver that if they travel at 24 miles an hour they will hit the next four sets of traffic lights on green."

"The system might advise a driver that if they travel at 24 miles an hour they will hit the next four sets of traffic lights on green," Blythe said.

The system will also warn drivers of approaching hazards, such as an accident or a reckless driver.

The latest technology includes various systems to be implemented, including a forward collision warning, which notifies drivers of obstacles on the road, and a red light violation warning, which tells drivers when someone on the road ahead has jumped a red light.

An energy efficient intersection service will also be provided in order to advise drivers of the best speed to be followed.

The Newcastle pilot is a part of a €10m project called Compass4D, involving seven European cities, Bordeaux in France, Copenhagen in Denmark, Eindhoven-Helmond in the Netherlands, Thessoloniki in Greece, Verona in Italy, Vigo in Spain, and Newcastle in the UK.