New warning system could improve work-zone safety

In a bid to improve work-zone safety, researchers from the University of Minnesota have developed the intelligent drum line (IDL) system prototype. The portable, dynamic system provides visual and auditory warnings to drivers who may have ignored or missed previous warning devices and pose a danger to the work-zone crew.
October 18, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
In a bid to improve work-zone safety, researchers from the 584 University of Minnesota have developed the intelligent drum line (IDL) system prototype. The portable, dynamic system provides visual and auditory warnings to drivers who may have ignored or missed previous warning devices and pose a danger to the work-zone crew.

The IDL system consists of two work-zone drums that detect vehicles travelling at unsafe speeds as they approach the work zone. Each drum includes a visual and auditory warning system: emergency flasher units mounted on the outside of the drum and a powerful air horn mounted inside that projects toward the roadway.

The first drum measures the speed and location of approaching vehicles. If the speed is higher than the safe threshold, the system activates the visual warning in both drums. When the vehicle is about one second away from the first drum, the auditory warning is activated. As soon as the vehicle passes, the auditory warning is stopped and the visual warning is deactivated. The auditory warning process is then repeated for the second drum.

Initial tests indicate that the audible and visual warnings successfully attracted the attention of drivers, although drivers were aware of the system in advance.  Further tests under real conditions are planned.
Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • German authorities use CB-radio message to reduce accidents in roadworks
    April 8, 2014
    Citizen Band radio is proving useful to prevent accidents in Germany’s roadworks. In common with other German Länder (federal regions) with large volumes of commercial vehicles using their trunk road networks, Bavaria had been experiencing high levels of road traffic accidents (RTAs) involving heavy trucks in the vicinity of minor motorway maintenance sites. This was despite the extensive visual warning regulations published in the German federal road safety audit (RSA) guidelines for the protection of site
    Read More
  • Solar-powered traffic detection improves communication
    January 31, 2012
    Pete Goldin reports on a new wireless, solar-powered traffic detection system being used by Caltrans District 12. As more and more traffic data is necessary to satisfy the needs of traffic management centres and traveller information systems, and as traffic detection technology becomes more ubiquitous, transportation authorities are pressured to find more economical ways of expanding their detection systems. Caltrans District 12 is leading this push by deploying the latest detection system from Case Global
    Read More
  • Pile-up prompts Gulf States to counter fog menace
    September 23, 2014
    David Crawford investigates a promising development to counter the problem of fog in the Gulf States. Despite being a largely desert area with low rainfall, fog is a major driving hazard in countries on the Arabian peninsula, such as the UAE. The fog is the result of moist air moving across from the neighbouring Gulf during the afternoon and evening, and experiencing radiation cooling at night.
    Read More
  • Deadlines approach for Europe’s automatic crash alert system
    September 15, 2016
    The EU-co-funded I_ HeERO (Infrastructure_ Harmonised eCall European Pilot) project is working to ensure the readiness of national networks of call centres - known as public safety answering posts (PSAPs) - to deal with automated crash alerts arriving via the continent-wide 112 emergency phone number. Following on from its HeERO and HeERO2 pre-deployment predecessors, which enjoyed €16m (US$17.76m) in EU funding, the new initiative runs from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017. It has €30.9 million (US$34.
    Read More

Highlighted Content