LIFE SAVING ON A MOTORWAY

Because of the high usage of Dutch motorways, the EUCO-COST 30 project, an international public demonstration of electronic traffic aids on major roads was carried out on motorways in the Netherlands. An account is given of this system and comparisons are made with the situation in the UK. Double induction loops are installed at 500 M intervals and traffic flows in each lane are recorded at a detector station every 20 seconds. These are connected to outstations at the base of overhead gantries supporting fibre optic matrix signals also at 500 M intervals. Regulated by a central processor, which also retains information for future reference, the signals are programmed to react according to changes in traffic flow. It is reported that motorists have found the system to be very reliable particularly with reference to gantry signs being switched off when a problem has passed and they therefore take more notice of them with a resulting decrease of accidents. Details are also given of the use of the system during roadworks and in detecting vehicles travelling the wrong way. (TRRL)

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• Corporate Authors:

  INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

  6 ENDSLEIGH STREET
  LONDON,   United Kingdom  WC1H 0DZ

  INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

  6 ENDSLEIGH STREET
  LONDON,   United Kingdom  WC1H 0DZ

  INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

  6 ENDSLEIGH STREET
  LONDON,   United Kingdom  WC1H 0DZ
• Authors:
  • Naylor, A E
• Publication Date: 1983-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: p. 34-36
• Serial:
  • HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue Number: 10
  • Publisher: INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION
  • ISSN: 0265-6868

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Demonstration projects; Driver information systems; Electromagnetic induction; Electronics; Freeways; Loop detectors; Overhead traffic signs; Safety; Sensors; Traffic flow; Traffic signals
• Uncontrolled Terms: Change; Decreases
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 9009: Decrease; 6965: Electronics; 6927: Induction; 2752: Motorway; 8078: Netherlands; 511: Overhead traffic sign; 1665: Safety; 6120: Sensor; 671: Traffic flow; 565: Traffic signal
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00382468
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1984 12:00AM