March, 2011
The RAC Foundation recently reported a 30% increase in the number of traffic lights up and down the country.
According to their dossier Every Second Counts, the number of traffic lights now stands at an incredible 25,000 having steadily risen by nearly a third in eight years.
But should we be concerned?
The answer is no. Traffic lights only pose a frustration to motorists when they’re unreliable and inefficient. And those problems only arise when outmoded detection methods such as inductive loops are utilised.
A traditional set of traffic lights will detect vehicles via an inductive loop under the surface of the road. All well and good until an installation or utility unit decide to dig up the road and damage the loop tails.
And damaged loop tails only lead to one thing – a downward spiral of precision. Since they’re unable to now detect vehicles accurately, they switch back to their default setting which guesstimates the scene on the road.
Ever wondered why you’re stuck at a red light when there are no other vehicles waiting to pass? There’s your answer.
But there is hope – new, modern hope. The M100 Wireless Vehicle Detection system from Golden River utilises magnetometer technology to wirelessly sense vehicles and regulate traffic flows.
The M100 not only negates the need to lay loops or cut slots in the road, which in time weakens the surface and leads to costly maintenance bills, it’s also compatible with all modern Urban Traffic Systems including SCOOT, MOVA and System D.
So instead of removing traffic lights or replacing them with alternative such as mini-roundabouts as Every Second Counts suggests, ensure they’re well equipped and efficient by deploying M100 detection systems and stop frustrated motorists seeing red.