The Automotive Week 2011, to be held from 14-22 May 2011 in the Brainport region (Eindhoven-Helmond) in the Netherlands, has the theme of Building the future in mobility. Numerous events during the week will take visitors to the near future of car-based mobility. Members of the public are very welcome to take a look at the experiments on the A270 highway on Sunday 15 May, showing how cooperative driving can help reduce both traffic congestion and emissions. And on Sunday 22 May, Helmond Classic Car takes the public on a journey through 125 years of automotive technology. As well as showing a large number of classic cars, the event also features the history of electric cars and alternative fuels such as biofuels.
Traffic volumes around the world are expected to increase greatly in the coming years. New developments are needed to keep traffic moving, to reduce congestion (including jams caused by ‘shockwaves’), and to increase safety, sustainability and driving comfort. One of the solutions is cooperative driving. The latest developments in this area will be shown in three unique experiments to be held on the A270 near Helmond during the Cooperative Driving Weekend on 14 and 15 May. Members of the public are very welcome to see these experiments on Sunday 15 May.
The experiments focus mainly on cooperation and communication between cars themselves and between cars and the roadside infrastructure. The A270 will be closed to traffic specially for these experiments in the weekend of 14 and 15 May, and the Beekstraat viaduct over the A270 in Nuenen will be used as a public tribune with an excellent view of the experiments. There will also be information stands about cooperative driving, explanations of the experiments by guides, and facilities for both children and adults to test the knowledge they have gained about cooperative driving. Free Automotive Week buses will run from Helmond and Eindhoven central stations, for people who want to see the experiments and take part in the public programme. Because of the expected high level of interest in the free public programme, visitors are asked to register in advance at www.automotiveweek.nl.
As well as the public events, there will also be a range of other events for international professionals during the Automotive Week, making the Brainport region for a whole week the international stage for the latest technological developments in the field of smart mobility. For secondary school students who are interested in automotive technology, there’s also the Automotive DAY on Saturday 21 May, at which they can find out more about a range of automotive education courses at different levels.
