Skip to main content

Ireland to deploy ITS technology to save lives

In the wake of the European Parliament’s approval of the mandatory installation of automatic emergency phones in all cars and vans by 2015, the Irish Times says Ireland’s National Roads Authority (NRA) is to deploy a range of intelligent transport systems to improve travel times, warn drivers of weather, dangers and delays ahead and automatically notify emergency services in the event of crashes or even the potential for crashes. The NRA has developed a motorway traffic control centre, based at the Dubli
March 18, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
In the wake of the European Parliament’s approval of the mandatory installation of automatic emergency phones in all cars and vans by 2015, the Irish Times says Ireland’s National Roads Authority (NRA) is to deploy a range of intelligent transport systems to improve travel times, warn drivers of weather, dangers and delays ahead and automatically notify emergency services in the event of crashes or even the potential for crashes.

The NRA has developed a motorway traffic control centre, based at the Dublin Port Tunnel offices, to monitor more than 65 million journeys a year made on the motorway network.  Managed by port tunnel operator 7319 Egis, the control centre will supply information to the NRA phone app which gives motorists route information including about weather, travel time, crashes, road conditions and potential diversions. The app also links to CCTV cameras based on the main inter-urban routes.

The NRA plans to test Bluetooth-enabled traffic monitoring, where Bluetooth devices in passing vehicles automatically provide data to roadside sensors, feeding into the control centre’s information on travel times.

The control centre is also developing systems that can detect the speeds of slowing traffic slowing and interpret whether this is caused by increasing traffic volume, or the possibility of a crash. The systems will also detect and warn operators of wrong-way drivers and cycles or pedestrians on a motorway.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bosch launches plug-in sensor to detect driver behaviour
    January 15, 2018
    Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions has launched a retrofit plug-in sensor device which aims to deliver precise event data such as driving behaviour and crash detection for telematics, fleet management and insurance applications. Called the Telematics eCall Plug (TEP), it registers car crash severity and is said to enable faster emergency response times. Additionally, the data can also help to improve safety and allow more personalized behaviour-based insurance, by rewarding safe drivers with discounts
  • Navtech Radar’s ClearWay in motorway trials
    March 26, 2014
    Navtech Radar, the world’s leading manufacturer of Radar-based Automatic Incident Detection (AID) solutions for traffic management applications, is supplying its ClearWay radar-based automatic incident detection (AID) solution planned trials on hard shoulder running on strategic motorways in the north of England. The trials are part of a new, all-lane-running smart motorways scheme. For the initial trials, Navtech Radar has supplied ten TS350-X Radars and the sophisticated Witness analytical software. E
  • Modelling MaaS and making it happen
    June 15, 2017
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the emerging technology being introduced to evaluate and operate Mobility as a Service. The fast-growing interest in Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has prompted the creation of a host of software systems for those wanting to become a MaaS provider or participate in MaaS offerings. Most recently, at ITS International’s MaaS Market conference, Portuguese company Brisa Innovation announced a name change to A-to-Be to reflect its increasing involvement in the MaaS sector with the lau
  • Euro MEPs back plan for automatic 112 call
    February 12, 2014
    The European Parliament's internal market committee has backed EU plans for all new types of car and van to be fitted with automated emergency call devices but opened the door to postponing their introduction beyond the proposed deadline of October 2015. The vote on eCall gives a green light for a pan-European type approval method to ensure the devices meet the necessary technical standards. The decision follows a vote in December in the transport committee to approve legislation for member states to develo