Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is planning to add a new feature to some traffic sensors in the region to help estimate the dangers of collisions at specific points.
The initiative will take place under the agency’s partnership with transport technology company VivaCity to and is said to be the first project of its kind in the UK.
It will involve upgrading 32 existing sensors with the company’s Near Miss feature, which combines object speed and path data to understand interactions between two road users in order to estimate the likelihood of a collision.
VivaCity said this will help TfWM and local authorities identify and diagnose dangerous sites and hotspots on the road network.
There will be two phases to the project. The first will involve monitoring insights from the Near Miss data over six to 12 months; the second will use those insights to determine other locations that would benefit from upgraded sensors.
The overall aim of this project is to better diagnose the root cause of collisions and recommend potential solutions to help prevent them in the future.
Preventing collisions
Mayor of West Midlands Andy Street said: “Our existing partnership is going a long way in future proofing our road networks. However, with the added benefits of Near Miss technology, local authorities will be empowered to help prevent future road collisions by being aware of issues before the worst happens.
“Our shared mission is to innovate road traffic networks to make improvements for local people across the board. Road safety is of paramount importance so it is great to be working with VivaCity to help make this a reality.”
The mayor’s cycling and walking commissioner, Adam Tranter, added: “The Near Miss technology is focused on protecting vulnerable road users, pedestrians and cyclists, from harm and I’m grateful to VivaCity for their continued collaboration on our shared mission to make our roads safer.”
