Clearview Intelligence has installed what is thought to be the first speed calming solution of its kind on the A75, tailoring speed warnings to individual vehicles.
The road has differing speed limits per vehicle classification – cars at 60mph, heavy vans at 50mph and HGVs at 40mph – and so the solution was designed to identify instances of speeding per vehicle type and provide an alert to the driver.
Clearview Intelligence installed solar powered vehicle detection count and classify units. These recorded a combination of vehicle classification and identification of vehicles travelling above the speed limit, across six ‘maximum impact’ sites.
At each of the six sites, two vehicle activated signs (VAS) facing each direction of travel were installed. The vehicle detection units communicate with the VAS to trigger a display showing the appropriate speed limit warning according to vehicle type.
Working with the road operator, Scotland TranServ, Clearview Intelligence chose a solar powered solution as it could cater for rural locations where it is impractical or impossible to connect to a mains supply.
Vincent Tait, road safety manager for Scotland TranServ, said: ‘Clearview Intelligence and Scotland TranServ have a strong track record of partnership working to improve road safety, so when we were looking to tackle the issue of encouraging speed compliance on the A75, we were confident that Clearview could help us to deliver an effective and robust solution.
‘The final design is replicable and can be deployed in a variety of locations, even in the absence of mains power in remote areas. Changing driver behaviour by making speed limits clearer for different vehicle types is a less punitive approach than traditional measures, and will encourage drivers to adjust their speed accordingly to ensure the safety of other road users and local communities along the route.’
Prior to the speed warning measures being put in place, Clearview Intelligence conducted surveys at 12 locations between Gretna and Stranraer. The surveys highlighted a recurring problem with the 85th percentile speed being unacceptably high, most notably with HGVs.
