Interactions between the cars and sensors will give researchers insight into the likelihood of an accident occurring based on the movement of a car and the road layout.

“Soon every new vehicle will be a connected vehicle, and we see this as an opportunity to reduce road traffic incidents and save lives in a significant way,” said Jon Scott, project lead on Ford’s smart mobility team.

The project, funded by Innovate UK, a government-backed innovation fund, involves close collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council and researchers at Loughborough University. 

The Data-Driven Road Safety Tool is designed for city planners and councils to one day be able to take “pre-emptive action” and make changes to roads and junctions that “pose the highest risks to road users”.

The trial builds on research done in London in which data scientists from Ford analysed more than a million miles of driving done by connected vehicles to supply local authorities with information about safety risks in key regions of the city. 

Connected cars have been touted by the automotive industry as the way forward to safer roads, with a future envisioned in which cars can “talk” to one another through signals and sensors in a bid to minimise accidents.

Figures from the Department for Transport suggest the annual cost of road incidents exceeds £35bn.