M100 Wireless Vehicle Detection gains full UK type approval

Full Highways Agency TR2512A homologation has been gained by Golden River Traffic for a new road traffic data collection system, using secure radio technology to drive traffic lights and smooth traffic flows.

The Golden River M100 magnetometer wireless sensor system provides a more reliable, lower cost, more easily installed alternative to traditional road-mounted inductive loop sensors.  The new wireless system can be used for Count and Classify or Traffic Light Control and is suitable for all Urban Traffic Control systems, offering a likely cost saving, across ten years of installation, of as much as 46%.

For the last two decades most traffic lights at busy intersections and pedestrian crossings have been controlled by ‘inductive loop’ sensors. Normally seen as dark square outlines on the road surface, they detect a passing vehicle by using a magnetic field to detect the metal components in the passing vehicle. They then send information on location and speed to the computer controlling the traffic signals.

The inductive loop system however has a number of important drawbacks, firstly is that they are often easily damaged by road degradation, utility works or road maintenance and secondly the  need to close a section of road to install the system and its associated wiring, both inevitably increasing costs and congestion.

The Golden River M100 wireless vehicle detection system provides a more reliable, lower cost and easier to install alternative to the use of inductive loops. The system uses flush-mounted magnetometer sensors in the road surface. The sensors wirelessly transmit real time data via secure radio technology to a nearby Access Point, which in turn feeds either locally-placed or remote traffic management controllers to ensure optimum traffic flow. As well as being less time consuming and cheaper to install, the Golden River wireless vehicle detection system has many other advantages over the traditional inductive loops. Its small size and lack of wires allows it to be positioned in the middle of a lane making data generation more accurate. It is also less likely to be disrupted by other road works.

Further cost-saving to local authorities from the use of the system are also created by the need for reduced traffic management during installation and the elimination of the need for expensive ducting. Overall the system provides a potential initial cost saving of 37% for a typical signalled junction; this can increase to over 45% when measured over a 10 year life cycle, which assumes replacement of loops once and provision for a sensor failure during the cycle. The system is also easily retrofitted at existing sites, to conveniently replace failed inductive loops.

The Wireless Vehicle Detection system is designed to work with all the proprietary traffic management systems in use across the UK and Europe and it is proving to be a major step forward in the replacement of inductive loop systems. It has already proved a great success, with significant benefits in reducing maintenance costs and traffic congestion.

“We are delighted that this new technology had gained the TR2512 certification, as it recognises a real step-change in traffic management technology which has tangible benefits with cost savings for the customer and congestion improvements for the general public” says Sales and Marketing Director Martin Rodgers. “We’re taking advantage of our technology, economies of scale and intelligent financial solutions to ensure we offer an economic argument to further justify our range of products, which are smoothing traffic congestion and saving lives.”