EP2355068A1

EP2355068A1 - Telematic apparatus for enhancing the traffic safety

Info

Publication number: EP2355068A1
Application number: EP10466006A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marek Scerba
Original assignee: Centrum Dopravniho Vyzkumu VVI
Current assignee: Centrum Dopravniho Vyzkumu VVI
Priority date: 2010-02-01
Filing date: 2010-02-15
Publication date: 2011-08-10
Also published as: CZ201076A3

Abstract

The telematic device for enhancement of road-traffic safety, particularly in connection with the movement of road maintenance vehicles and/or rescue vehicles (3) on highways or motorways, comprises variable road signs (4) located along the road at a specific distance in front of the critical traffic area, said variable road signs being controllable by means of a remote switch (5) installed inside a road maintenance vehicle and/or inside a rescue vehicle (3). The remote switch (5) is designed to control the variable road signs through the use of encoded radio frequency signals. Said critical traffic stretch is a sector of a highway (1) that is intended for turning of road maintenance vehicles and/or rescue vehicles (3). The variable road signs (4) are usually placed at two different distances in front of the critical traffic area, typically in the distances of about 300 meters and 600 meters respectively.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a telematic device for enhancement of road-traffic safety, particularly in connection with the movement of rescue vehicles and/or road maintenance vehicles on highways.

State of the art

In the present era of increasing motorization level, the traffic load often becomes very heavy not only in the urban areas but also on the high-capacity road lines in the rural areas. Furthermore, a significant proportion of the total number of traffic accidents occurring on highways and speedways is caused by the instabilities of the traffic flow, such accidents mostly having fatal consequences due to the high speeds of the vehicles involved.
For the above reasons, among others, the member countries of the European Union invest increasing amounts in telematic systems deployed along all the important road lines. In this respect, diverse devices are installed, such as detectors informing of traffic volumes, speeds of traffic flows etc. Besides that, significant amounts are spent on development of distribution channels comprising variable traffic signs and similar sophisticated technologies. Many traffic-related issues and dangers exist just temporarily or in various less important locations that do not attract any increased attention. However, such locations may become very dangerous, even tragic, by coincidence.
For example, there are certain stretches on highways and motorways that are intended for "turning of winter maintenance vehicles". Such stretches comprise locations where the medial strip is interrupted to enable diverting the traffic into a contra-flow lane when a closure of traffic is unavoidable or level crossing reserved for the rescue vehicles as well as for the vehicles operated by the highway maintenance depots that are responsible for routine and winter maintenance and for regular inspections. When such stretches are used for turning around, the utility vehicles cause an abrupt change of speed within the respective traffic lane. Then, even a slight inattention of an approaching driver may cause a serious traffic accident involving a collision with the utility vehicle turning round or slowly driving away.
At the present, the stretches including the crossings in the medial strip are not sufficiently marked with visible signs. Such stretches are usually marked with vertical traffic sign A22 "Another danger" provided with a supplementary verbal explanation "Turning of maintenance vehicles" but since the above traffic sign is permanently installed in the respective location, i.e. even when no maintenance vehicles are present, the passing drivers often ignore the sign because they know that an actual danger will only rarely occurs.

Disclosure of the invention

The above drawbacks of the prior art are largely eliminated by the telematic device for the enhancement of road-traffic safety, particularly in connection with the movement of road maintenance vehicles and/or rescue vehicles on highways or motorways, according to the present invention, wherein said telematic device comprises variable road signs located along the road at a specific distance in front of the critical traffic area, said variable road signs being controllable by means of a remote switch installed inside a road maintenance vehicle and/or inside a rescue vehicle. In a preferred embodiment of the telematic device according to the invention, the remote switch is designed to switch the variable road signs on and off by means of an encoded radio frequency signals. In another preferred embodiment of the telematic device according to the invention, said critical traffic area comprises a sector of a highway or motorway that is intended for turning of road maintenance vehicles and/or rescue vehicles. In further preferred embodiments of the telematic device according to the invention, the distances of the variable road signs in front of the critical traffic area are in the range of 200 to 400 meters or in the range of 700 to 900 meters, the most preferred embodiment comprising two variable road signs, the first one being placed in the distance ranging from 200 to 400 meters and the other one being placed in the distance ranging from 700 to 900 meters. Preferably, the variable road sign is supplemented with an additional warning sign and with an additional indication of the remaining distance between the variable road sign and the critical traffic area. The variable road sign may also be supplemented with flashing warning lights.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be further described in more detail by means of the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 shows a stretch of a highway with an interrupted medial strip, in which stretch a telematic device for the enhancement of road-traffic safety according to the present invention is installed, and Fig. 2 shows an exemplary arrangement of the variable road sign that can be used for the telematic device according to the invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Fig. 1 shows a part of a highway 1 with an interrupted medial strip 2 to enable turning of road-maintenance or rescue vehicles 3 . Variable traffic signs 4 are placed along the highway 1 in front of the interrupted portion of the medial strip 2 in either traffic flow direction, the distance between the variable road signs and the critical stretch being approximately 600 and 300 meters respectively. The road maintenance vehicle or the rescue vehicle 3 is equipped with a remote control switch 5 installed inside the same.
Fig. 2 shows an exemplary arrangement of the variable road sign 4 . In its central area, the road sign comprises a warning triangle 6 with an exclamation mark indicating a possible danger on the highway 1 . The lower part of the road sign comprises an indicator 7 informing of the remaining distance to the critical place of the highway 1 . In addition, the road sign 4 is supplemented with warning lights 8 arranged in the upper corners of the same.

In operation, the telematic device will work on the basis of a wireless communication between the respective road maintenance or rescue vehicle 3 and the road signs 4 situated near by the critical area of the highway 1 and intended to enhance the road-traffic safety in that critical area. If the driver of the road maintenance vehicle / rescue vehicle 3 arriving in the critical area, e.g. approaching the sector reserved for turning such road maintenance vehicles / rescue vehicles 3 , intends to cross the medial strip 2 in order to turn the vehicle 3 in the opposite direction, he switches on the remote control switch 5 which sends an encoded signal to the control circuit (not shown) of the variable road sign 4 so as to activate the same. Then, the warning triangle 6 , that is typically red and includes a white exclamation mark, illuminates. Simultaneously, the indicator 7 informing of the remaining distance to the critical stretch of the highway 1 illuminates and the warning lights 8 begin to flash in order to draw the attention of all drivers to the fact that there is an actual danger in the critical stretch of the highway 1 .
The remote switch 5 is designed in the form of a switched transmitter of encoded high frequency signals that are sent to the control circuit (not shown) of the variable road sign 4 in a wireless manner, typically being encrypted by means of a code that is accepted by all the variable road signs 4 within the operational range of the respective road maintenance vehicle / rescue vehicle 3 .
Although the variable road signs 4 shown in Fig. 1 are placed in the medial strip 2 of the highway 1 (because the inner traffic lanes adjacent to the interrupted medial strip 2 , which are mostly used for turning of the road maintenance vehicles / rescue vehicles 3 , constitute the most dangerous passages of the highway 1 ), they may be placed along he outer auxiliary lane of the highway 1 , as well. It is obvious that the variable road signs 4 may be simultaneously placed both along the outer auxiliary lane of the highway 1 and inside the medial strip 2 of the highway 1 .
The distances between the individual variable road signs 4 and the critical area may be determined in accordance with the actual local traffic situation. Under certain circumstances, it may be preferable to install the first warning sign, e.g., even in the distance 2000 m in front of the critical area.
Although the above exemplary embodiments describe the application of the invention on the highway 1 , the telematic device for enhancement of road-traffic safety according to the invention may also be used on motorways or other traffic roads.

Industrial applicability

The telematic device according to the invention may be utilized instead of fixed road signs to control the traffic more effectively in such areas of highways where authorised vehicles may move unexpectedly slowly in the fast traffic lane, thus putting the other drivers at risk.

Claims

Telematic device for enhancement of road-traffic safety, particularly in connection with movement of road maintenance vehicles and/or rescue vehicles (3) on highways, characterized in that it comprises variable road signs (4) located along the highway at a distance in front of the critical traffic area, said variable road signs being controllable by means of a remote switch (5) installed inside a road maintenance vehicle and/or inside a rescue vehicle (3).
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that said remote switch (5) is designed for switching the variable road signs on and off by means of encoded radio frequency signals.
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that said critical traffic area is a sector of a highway (1) that is intended for turning of road maintenance vehicles and/or rescue vehicles (3).
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the variable road sign (4) and the critical traffic area is in the range of 200 to 400 meters.
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the variable road sign (4) and the critical traffic area is in the range of 700 to 900 meters.
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two variable road signs arranged in front of the critical traffic area, the first one being placed at a distance ranging from 200 to 400 meters and the other one being placed at a distance ranging from 700 to 900 meters in front of the critical traffic area.
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that said variable road signs (4) comprise a warning road sign.
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that said variable road signs (4) comprise an additional indicator (7) informing of the remaining distance between said variable road signs (4) and said critical traffic area.
Telematic device according to claim 1, characterized in that said variable road signs (4) comprise flashing warning lights (8).