Smart vehicles will warn Australian drivers when a car is about to run a red light, or a pedestrian steps onto the road, as part of new technology trials aiming to lower the road toll.

Victoria is undertaking one of the world's first vehicle-to-everything (V2X) trials, using artificial intelligence to study the live feed from VicRoad's traffic camera network to spot potential hazards. The system will send real-time alerts to a car's dashboard, delivered via Telstra's 4G mobile network.

The two-year $3.5 million trial — involving Telstra, Lexus, VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission — is set to take to Victorian roads later this year, having already completed six months of trials on a test track. It is part of Victoria's Towards Zero road toll campaign, funded as part of the state government's Connected and Automated Vehicle Trial Grants program.

"Connected and automated vehicles will play a huge part in reducing lives lost and serious injuries on our roads in the future; that's why we're getting ready to implement this technology to start making a big impact on our roads," says VicRoads chief executive Robyn Seymour.