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Smart signs trial to 'encourage safe driving'

22/07/08

A road in Essex is to play host to a trial of new smart signs to see if the technology encourages safer driving.

Car insurance customers may be interested to know that the Highways Agency will set up the smart signs on the A12 London-bound carriageway near Kelvedon in Essex.

During the seven-week trial, new Vehicle Activated Speed Indicator Devices (VASID) will be in place in the hope that they will deter speeding.

The signs will flash up with the number plate of any car speeding on the road as a visual reminder to drivers that they need to slow down.

A large sign mounted on the back of a trailer and remote speed and detection units will be set up along the A12, with the detection units set up on cantilever arms over the lanes.

Mark Pooley, project sponsor at the Highways Agency, said: "We are investigating whether the system has an effect on the behaviour of drivers. We will assess the vehicle speed data and look at what impact the messages had on drivers and how well the technology worked with live traffic."

He added that this is "the first time" that all the system components have been used in a trial on a road with live traffic as existing vehicle activated schemes show the speed limit sign "but do not show the vehicle number plate".

The news comes as Swindon Borough council announced that it may scrap speed cameras after it admitted the revenue raised from them had to go direct to the Treasury.

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