ITS Solutions Traffic Safety Downhill Truck Speed Advisory System
Downhill Truck Speed Advisory System
Hilly or mountainous terrain creates inherently dangerous conditions on some of North America's highways, especially for large heavily loaded trucks. Once a truck starts down a grade, it is difficult to adjust to a slower and safer traveling speed. Inexperienced drivers and drivers new to a particular area are most likely to encounter difficulties, often resulting in the use of runaway ramps or serious crashes. The speed advisory system uses weigh in motion information to determine and display a safe speed for each commercial vehicle, determined specifically for that vehicle. An evaluation in Colorado showed a reduction in truck speeds of more than 5 mph when the system was activated.
The Downhill Truck Speed Advisory System integrates Weigh In Motion (WIM) and Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and provides a real time vehicle specific speed advisory to commercial vehicle operators.
