|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Smart traffic lights will turn green for cyclists
Cyclists will be given priority at junctions for the first time under
plans for a new generation of smart traffic lights. Technology is being tested and developed in three cities that will enable traffic lights to “see” approaching cyclists and change to green, allowing them to ride straight through. The system, which uses cameras and artificial intelligence (AI), is designed to make busy roads more cycle-friendly while reducing the likelihood of accidents. It also acknowledges the fact that some cyclists fail to stop at red lights, putting them at risk of being hit by a vehicle. The move is being made after a government report was published last week suggesting a boom in the number of people taking to their bikes in towns and cities across Britain during the coronavirus lockdown. The national “travel attitudes” survey by the Department for Transport (DfT) suggested that almost four in ten people cycled or walked more between May and July than before the pandemic and 94 per cent thought it was “likely that they would continue” to travel by bike or on foot in the long term. However, safety is seen as a concern for many new cyclists, particularly with vehicle traffic approaching pre-pandemic levels again. Separate research by the DfT has found that three quarters of road accidents in which cyclists are injured occur at or close to road junctions. Traffic lights use a variety of sensors to detect the presence of vehicles and change to green to prevent a build-up of traffic. However, cyclists are largely invisible to all existing systems. The new technology, developed by Surrey-based Now Wireless, uses cameras mounted on traffic lights and up to 50 metres before them. They detect approaching traffic and AI can pick out the image of a cyclist, as distinct from a car or motorbike. The cameras are synchronised with the traffic signals, allowing them to change to green even with a single cyclist approaching. The AI technology is being tested in Wolverhampton, Coventry and Southampton. It costs less than £700 to install on each traffic light. Currently, the presence of cyclists turns traffic lights green for all vehicles heading in the same direction as the bike. However, it can be adapted specifically for cycle-only traffic lights — those at eye level that only give priority to bikes over other forms of traffic. Brian Jackson, chief executive of Now Wireless, said: “Our system deals with the reality that cyclists sometimes run through a red light. It does so by simply making sure it’s always green for them. The system will allow councils to send a message, where appropriate, that cycling is being encouraged by giving riders priority. Our system can be calibrated to prioritise even a single cyclist approaching a junction.” The development follows the publication of government plans to overhaul the Highway Code in the summer. Ministers proposed creating a new “hierarchy” that gives priority to cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders over vehicles. A consultation into the proposals suggests that drivers should give way to cyclists at junctions. Graeme Paton Transport Correspondent of the Times |
Ads |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Green traffic lights and priorities | Jimmy Wilkinson Knife[_2_] | UK | 15 | August 28th 18 08:10 PM |
London 'could see traffic lights that prioritise cyclists and buses' | Bod[_5_] | UK | 3 | May 22nd 17 01:25 AM |
London cyclists welcome prospect of new kit that turns traffic lightsfrom red to green | Alycidon | UK | 27 | December 21st 15 02:37 PM |
Traffic lights that turn green for bicycles | Simon Mason[_4_] | UK | 7 | March 3rd 12 08:55 PM |
Cyclists going through red traffic lights | Iain[_2_] | UK | 239 | March 24th 09 05:25 PM |