Canada tests animal detectors

In an effort to reduce collisions caused by deer, moose, elk and caribou in Ontario, the highway ministry’s eastern region is now testing sophisticated motion-detection systems that flash a warning to motorists only when animals are on or near the highway.
November 5, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
In an effort to reduce collisions caused by deer, moose, elk and caribou in Ontario, the highway ministry’s eastern region is now testing sophisticated motion-detection systems that flash a warning to motorists only when animals are on or near the highway.

Two new test systems developed by Rotalec, use solar-powered perimeter radars to track all movement and the speed of every passing vehicle on the highway. Software analyses the size and speed of objects captured by the radar to separate man and automobile from beast.  Small mammals like squirrels and raccoons, however, are still on their own. The system cannot track their crossings.

While political sensitivity in Ontario about photo radar means that the data cannot be used for speed enforcement, Mr. Dickson said that the speed data showed that motorists were changing their ways.

“The alarm is tripping regularly, and we are starting to see speeds coming down,” said Blake Dickson, vice president of sales and marketing at Rotalec.

David Brake, a traffic project specialist with Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, said speeds had fallen 15 per cent, on average, when the lights were flashing.
Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision Classification & Data Collection

Related Content

  • ‘Wrong font’ on signs could overturn speeding fines
    March 11, 2013
    Thousands of UK motorists caught speeding on two stretches of the M62 in Warwickshire could have their convictions overturned because the wrong font was used on the speed limit signs. The Crown Prosecution Service said the signs showed miles per hour (mph) numbers taller and narrower than they should have been, failing to comply with traffic regulations. The regulations governing variable speed limit signs are set out in a government document called Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002. If
    Read More
  • Demand management schemes, is there a better way?
    January 31, 2012
    The European Commission is placing too much emphasis on the use of demand management, according to the FIA. Here, Wil Botman, Director-General of the FIA's European Bureau, explains why. Towards the end of last year, the European Bureau of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) released a statement which criticised the European Commission's (EC's) approach to urban traffic congestion following the adoption of the Action Plan on Urban Mobility. In particular, the FIA voiced concerns over what it
    Read More
  • Hella and Autoliv sign license and cooperation agreement
    May 18, 2012
    Hella Aglaia Mobile Vision, a subsidiary of Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., and Autoliv have agreed to cooperate and further develop their automotive forward-looking vision systems together. As part of the agreement that bundles the competencies of both companies, Hella Aglaia is selling an exclusive license on monovision based algorithms for traffic sign recognition (TSR), lane detection and light source recognition to Autoliv. By monitoring traffic signs, TSR helps the driver to keep the correct speed and follow
    Read More
  • Developments in urban traffic management and control
    February 1, 2012
    Mark Cartwright, Centaur Consulting, discusses developments in urban traffic management and control. Despite the concept of UTMC (Urban Traffic Management and Control) having been around for some years now, there remains a significant rump of confusion as to its relationship with its similar-sounding cousin UTC (Urban Traffic Control). To many people, the two are one and the same. However, this is not the case.
    Read More

Highlighted Content