Dan and Bex are on a road trip. Their mobile phone has got them thinking about how we communicate with each other when we’re travelling.

In the past, drivers had to rely on maps to plan their journeys, but today with digital communication like mobile phones and sat navs, we can plan a route and find detours when things go wrong.

GPS and the internet share this information around. And motorways in the future may even have cables buried under the surface to make it even easier to make connections on the move.

Some of the new technology can detect the types of vehicles and so see if a particular road is used by, say lorries more than cars.

It may even be able to detect models of cars and knowing which makes of car are able to brake more quickly than others, could help to keep the roads running smoothly – and most importantly, safely.

Mobile units like the one the guys have seen, can be used to gather information and to communicate changes – say, if there are some temporary roadworks.

These handy mobile units can carry cameras, radars and signs. Some may even be solar powered. Because they are easy to move around, they’re great for responding to emergencies too.