Showcase IRD Safety Systems
Showcase
IRD Safety Systems
In response to the growing concern for public transportation safety, International Road Dynamics Inc. (IRD) has developed several intelligent transportation safety systems. The Truck Rollover Advisory System, the Downhill Speed Warning System (DSWS), the Runaway Truck Signal Control System, and the Over height Vehicle Detection System (OHVDS) are specifically designed to prevent commercial vehicle accidents. The Lane Merger (Dynamic Work Zone Safety System), the Speed Ranger (Variable Speed Limit System) and the Travel Messenger (Real-Time Information System) are targeted toward the general motoring public and are intended to enhance the safety of work zones on or near the road.
Driver Safety Advisory
LANE MERGER - DYNAMIC WORK ZONE SAFETY SYSTEM
The Lane Merger addresses the specific problem of merging traffic from two lanes into a single lane, or from three lanes into two lanes, by creating a dynamic early no passing zone upstream of restricted travel areas. The Lane Merger reduces conflicts, accidents and road rage.
IRD's Lane Merger system was implemented at several sites by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in 2000 and 2001 and an evaluation was conducted by Wayne State University. The evaluation concluded that the Lane Merger "can be very helpful in reducing aggressive driver behaviour, increasing safety and reducing delay at work zones where lane closures are necessary."
Some of the specific findings of the study include:
- The average peak period travel time decreased by over 30% resulting in time savings for drivers.
- The average number of stops and duration of stops were decreased, reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
- The number of aggressive driver maneuvers (late merges) during peak hours were reduced by 50-75%, reducing the potential for accidents and road rage.
- Driver understanding through education and awareness, supplementary signing, and enforcement is important for overall effectiveness. Police enforcement has a positive impact on reducing aggressive driving.
- Deployment of the Lane Merger will be economically beneficial and achieve Benefit/Cost ratios greater than one, if a value of time of $3.80 per person hour is assumed for travel time savings.
IRD Corporate Headquarters in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
INDIANA
IRD designed and implemented the first Lane Merger System in partnership with the Indiana DOT in 1997. Due to the success of the system in Indiana, the state made the Lane Merger a mandatory requirement for certain road construction projects.
MICHIGAN
Based on the Indiana experience, in 2000, the Michigan DOT implemented IRD's Early Lane Merger along a stretch of highway M-53. IRD upgraded the sensors used in the previous Indiana projects to microwave radar sensors and made refinements to the software algorithm. Wayne State University conducted a study on the Lane Merger at a number of sites over two consecutive construction seasons in 2000 and 2001. The results were positive and Michigan DOT proceeded to deploy the systems at other sites in 2002 and continues to incorporate the Lane Merger into the specifications for certain construction projects. The Early Lane Merger has been used for sites where traffic is merging from two lanes into a single lane, and for sites where traffic flows from three lanes into two lanes. Michigan DOT continues to use the early merge lane system throughout the state.
ILLINOIS
IRD in early 2003 was awarded a contract to supply a Lane Merger System for a construction project on I-80 in LaSalle County. The Early Lane Merger System was deployed in two directions for a period of 5 months.
DYNAMIC LATE LANE MERGE SYSTEM
The Dynamic Late Lane Merge system takes a new approach to managing the merging of traffic prior to a lane closure. The system monitors traffic conditions and when traffic is flowing freely the system is inactive. When congested conditions are detected, motorists are advised that a back-up is occurring and to continue to use both lanes to the merge point. At the taper area, motorists are advised to take turns merging, alternating between the left and right lane of traffic.
MARYLAND
Maryland Department of Transportation, along with participation from the University of Maryland and the FHWA, deployed the Dynamic Late Lane Merge System in the fall of 2003. A webpage with a color coded traffic conditions map and cameras was provided to the public. The system consisted of 3 sensor trailers, 4 message signs, and 2 trailer mounted camera with pan/tilt/zoom capabilities.
SPEED RANGER - VARIABLE SPEED LIMIT SYSTEM
The Speed Ranger is a variable speed limit system which determines and displays speed limits on dynamic message signs at several locations near a restricted travel area based on current traffic and road conditions. The result is a series of messages encouraging a smooth transition to appropriate speeds. Data collected from the system can also be used to provide real-time travel information to drivers.
MICHIGAN
The first Speed Ranger system was implemented near Lansing, Michigan in the fall of 2002 in an effort to further improve safety in work zones in the state. The system consisted of seven trailers each with a variable speed limit message sign, a self contained controller, RTMS sensor, power supply and communication equipment. The master trailer has a road surface condition sensing device. The Speed Ranger was deployed at 4 different locations over a period of approximately 8 months. Michigan has plans to deploy the system at other sites in 2003.
TRAVEL MESSENGER - REAL-TIME INFORMATION SYSTEM
IRD's Travel Messenger provides a feasible solution to address the need for accurate, up-to-date information for travelers as they approach areas of traffic congestion. The information can reduce driver impatience by informing them of conditions ahead and providing them with the opportunity to make choices regarding alternate routes. The information is available through roadside message signs for drivers in the traffic control zone, and on the internet for those drivers wanting to check their route before leaving.
Several traffic monitoring stations are located throughout the monitored zone and along the downstream highway to determine traffic conditions on a real-time basis. Portable changeable or variable message signs strategically located upstream of the monitored area receive a wireless signal from the master station and display information about the current conditions, such as the expected delay through a work zone.
Typical Travel Messenger Sign Station
MICHIGAN
The first Travel Messenger system was implemented in Michigan in 2002 in an effort to further improve safety in work zones in the state. The project was part of a Michigan DOT reconstruction project, with the goal to implement temporary real-time information system in construction work zones. The safety system was deployed on I-75 south of Detroit for a period lasting 4 months.
NORTH CAROLINA
IRD's Travel Messenger Safety System was active in North Carolina at two separate locations in 2003. The initial deployment in Johnston County was contracted for 4 months. The second deployment in Nash-Halifax Counties was active for a period of 8 months. Both deployments incorporated on-site video and a website of traffic conditions which could be accessed by the public.
CVO Systems
TRUCK ROLLOVER ADVISORY SYSTEM
The Truck Rollover Advisory System determines when a potential rollover condition exists based on real information. A targeted warning message on an electronic sign is given to trucks in a critical situation, providing an eye catching, relevant warning to the driver, therefore reducing rollover accident potential for commercial vehicles and increasing safety for automobile traffic.
Typical IRD Truck Rollover Warning System
WASHINGTON BELTWAY
After a truck rollover incident in Washington D.C. caught the attention of a local politician, the FHWA commissioned a feasibility study on the implementation of a truck rollover warning system. As a result, IRD developed and installed prototypes of the Truck Rollover Warning System at three sites along the Washington D.C. Beltway in Virginia and Maryland.
The three systems installed in 1993 along the Washington Beltway in Virginia and Maryland were evaluated independently over a three year period by the Federal Highway Administration. The final report released in 1998 presented the findings of the evaluation. The report found that trucks that activated the sign reduced their speed by an average of 21 percent greater than those trucks that did not activate the sign. A second and more significant finding of the evaluation was the overall effectiveness of system. The three sites chosen for testing the system were selected because of their previous history of experiencing rollover incidents. The Maryland site had experienced 6 accidents in five years and rollover accidents were reduced to zero during the evaluation period. The two Virginia sites had each experienced 2 accidents in 4 years and not a single rollover accident has occurred at either of the sites since the Rollover Advisory Systems were installed. The sites in Virginia are still in operation.
PENNSYLVANIA
Based on the experience from past installations, IRD has since incorporated many design changes into the rollover safety system and in 2000 installed 2 rollover advisory systems in Pennsylvania. Reports indicate that the system is working and no rollover accidents have occurred to date.
GEORGIA
Six (6) Truck Rollover Warning Systems have been supplied to the State of Georgia in the vicinity of Atlanta. The new Georgia systems are installed in advance of problem curves where heavier and longer trucks have historically had rollover problems. These systems utilize IRD's patented Single Load Cell WIM technology, and operate by monitoring the speed, deceleration, height, and weight of each truck as they exit the freeway. Three (3) systems were installed in 2002 and are in operation on I-285/I-20 in Fulton County. Three (3) systems are currently being installed in Clayton and Dekalb Counties.
NEW JERSEY
A one-lane Truck Rollover Warning System was commissioned in early 2003 into operation in New Jersey on I-287/I-80. The system utilizes an IRD Bending Plate WIM System for its truck weighing component.
COLORADO
A two-lane Truck Rollover Warning System will be installed in spring, 2003 in Clear Creek County on the eastbound lanes of I-70. The system utilizes Single Load Cell Scales and Fiber Optic Blankout Signs.
DOWNHILL SPEED WARNING SYSTEM
The Downhill Speed Warning System (DSWS) integrates Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) and Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and provides a real-time vehicle specific speed advisory to commercial vehicle operators, which reduces the likelihood of a runaway situation for commercial vehicles.
The DSWS is not intended to replace runaway truck ramps, advisory signs, and other safety measures, but rather to complement the ramps and potentially reduce the number of times that the ramps will be needed. The system is typically installed at the summit of a highway mountain pass on the approach to long, steep downhill grades. The system can weigh and classify trucks in motion, calculating their respective safe operating speeds and communicating this information to the driver of the truck, before the vehicle begins its descent.
Downhill Warning System in Colorado
COLORADO
Between 1989 and 1991, there were a total of 156 accidents on the six most heavily used downgrades in Colorado. There were fatalities in four of these accidents and injuries in 58 of them, along with a significant property cost associated with these accidents. While implementing runaway truck ramps and fixed advisory signing, the Colorado Department of Transportation decided to focus on new alternative methods to prevent truck accidents on steep sections of mountainous highways. The result was the first Downhill Speed Warning System (DSWS) in North America, which was designed and installed by IRD in 1994 and then upgraded in 1997. The system is located west of the Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado on I-70.
An additional system will be installed in 2003 in Clear Creek County on the westbound lanes at the top of Floyd Hill.
OREGON
In 2002 in partnership with the Oregon DOT, IRD installed a Downhill Speed Advisory System in an effort to reduce crashes along a 9-mile length of highway on I-84. This stretch of highway known as Emigrant Hill saw 42 truck crashes in a 3 year period. With the IRD System, each transponder equipped truck weighed at the Emigrant Hill Weigh Station activates a personalized message near the start of the long downgrade, indicating the trucking company name and a recommended safe speed based on that truck's weight. Trucks without transponders see a STEEP DOWNGRADE warning.
Downhill Warning Sign in Oregon
RUNAWAY TRUCK SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM
To address situations where runaway incidents occur, IRD recommends the Runaway Truck Signal Control System to provide signal control downstream of a steep downgrade. The Runaway Truck Signal Control System uses WIM technology to detect runaway trucks on a steep grade which leads into a signalized intersection. If a runaway situation is detected, the signal controller is triggered to provide a green light as the vehicle approaches the intersection. The pre-emption system will provide the opportunity for vehicles and pedestrians to clear the intersection and avoid potentially catastrophic accidents.
PENNSYLVANIA
In 1999 IRD designed and installed the first Runaway Truck Signal Control System in conjunction with the Pennsylvania DOT. The system sensors collect data on vehicle weight, classification, and speed, and then determine if a vehicle is exceeding its critical speed threshold for its location on the downgrade. Pennsylvania DOT has indicated that they are pleased with the system.
Intersection with Controlled Signals for Runaway Trucks;
Weigh-In-Motion Sensors for detecting Runaway Trucks (Inset)
OVERHEIGHT VEHICLE DETECTION SYSTEM (OHVDS)
IRD's over height Vehicle Detection System reduces collisions between motorists and overhead structures. The system detects over height vehicles moving toward overhead obstacles, such as bridges, overpasses, tunnels, warehouse entrances, and other structures, and individually warns drivers that their vehicles may be too high to travel under the obstacle.
The OHVDS is comprised of a transmitter and a receiver. A transmitter sends a beam of light across the highway to a receiver. When the beam is broken by a vehicle, an alarm or sign can be activated to alert the driver.
Activated Over Height Warning Sign in Harrisburg, Oregon
OREGON
An example of the application of the IRD Over Height Vehicle Detection System is at the Willamette River Bridge in Harrisburg, Oregon. On January 21, 2001 nearly $350,000 damage was incurred by the bridge, closing it for 15 days while repairs were made and causing traffic to take a 45-minute detour. After this unfortunate accident, IRD was commissioned to install its Over Height Vehicle Detection System at the site to prevent future incidents by monitoring three approaches to the bridge and alerting driver's to their over height condition.
