Skip to main content

Australia trials ‘smart’ road barriers

'Smart' road barriers that will speed up emergency response times to crash sites are being trialled in South Australia. The wire rope technology, designed in South Australia, is expected to improve crash response times by sending an electronic message direct to the city's traffic management centre when a vehicle crashes into the barrier. The technology has been installed on one of the state's most notorious roads and will be trialled for a year at a cost of US$112,000. If successful, the government wi
November 14, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
'Smart' road barriers that will speed up emergency response times to crash sites are being trialled in South Australia.

The wire rope technology, designed in South Australia, is expected to improve crash response times by sending an electronic message direct to the city's traffic management centre when a vehicle crashes into the barrier.

The technology has been installed on one of the state's most notorious roads and will be trialled for a year at a cost of US$112,000. If successful, the government will consider rolling the technology out across the state.

"The rope will detect when a vehicle has crashed into it, triggering an electronic alert to be sent to the Traffic Management Centre at Norwood," Road Safety minister Michael O'Brien said. "By knowing when a vehicle has hit the barrier, the centre can immediately alert emergency services. This will help to improve response times to crashes, rather than waiting for the police, the public or someone involved in a crash to report the accident."

The technology also allows technicians to monitor the tension of the wires.

"If there is a loosening or an impact to the wire ropes, the traffic management centre is alerted and are able to dispatch a work crew to fix the barrier if required," O'Brien said.

Related Content

  • Ukraine turns to ITS to cope with traffic increases
    June 9, 2015
    With increasing road fatalities the Ukrainian government is planning to introduce ITS technology in 2016-2017. Eugene Gerden finds out more. The government of Ukraine is considering a massive introduction of ITS in the national system of traffic during the period 2016-2017, according to a recent statement by the Ukrainian Ministry of Transport. According to the Ukrainian government, implementation of the project is an acute need, as in recent years the number of road accidents in Ukraine has significantly
  • Drivewyze & One.network start Oregon safety project
    March 29, 2024
    Umatilla County deal will give truck drivers in-cab, real-time road closure alerts
  • Managed motorways, hard shoulder running aids safety, saves time
    January 30, 2012
    The announcement that, in 2012/13, work to extend Managed Motorways to Junctions 5-8 of the M6 near Birmingham in the West Midlands is scheduled to start marks the next step for the UK's hard shoulder running concept, first introduced on the M42 in 2006. The M6 scheme is in fact one of several announced; over the next few years work will start on applying Managed Motorways to various sections of the M1, M25 London Orbital, M60 and M62. According to Paul Unwin, senior project manager with the Highways Agency
  • New solutions for catching texting drivers
    October 28, 2016
    Many countries have laws prohibiting texting while driving but enforcement is proving difficult – David Crawford looks at some new approaches being tried by authorities. Finding definitive solutions – technological, regulatory and educational - to the potentially lethal practice of people driving while using mobile phones is proving elusive, while the stakes grow higher.