Traffic engineers work every day to plan safer roads, reduce crashes, and improve safety. The goal is to reduce
crashes, make roads safe for all users, and keep traffic flowing at safe speeds. But what data is guiding the decisions they make? Is generalized data or data estimation enough to efficiently plan local street and highway improvements? What if there was a better way to choose where improvements were needed and what they should be?
Making road design, engineering, and planning decisions based on specific data, also called Data Driven Safety Analysis, is more than just a smart technique. The FHWA says that using data for safety analysis and decision making ultimately leads to fewer fatalities and serious injuries.
Traffic Logix SafePace Evolution signs are all web-enabled so that the data that the signs gather can be immediately viewed, reported on, and analyzed from anywhere with a web connection. While some may have legitimate concerns that speed data from a speed sign isn’t a good indicator of actual driving behavior since cars slow when they pass, all Traffic Logix signs can be operated in stealth mode. This allows you to keep the sign off while traffic data is still being gathered on passing vehicle speeds.
When you’re looking to accumulate data on a larger area than just one street, SafePace signs all offer portable options so that you can move them from location to location. From our universal mounting bracket to our options of speed trailers, each SafePace sign can provide you with data from multiple locations.
By gathering and using speed, traffic volume, and crash data, traffic departments can make better informed decisions about speed and crash prevention.
For example, the Arizona Department of Transportation used predictive analysis to decide on a solution for a 25 mile stretch of rural road. Based on analysis of the ratio of lives and injuries saved per dollar invested, the AZ DOT was able to make an informed decision on what technique from a choice of 3 options would provide the greatest safety benefit.
Using data, including the type your SafePace signs provide, can help you choose and implement better solutions to solve whatever challenges your roads present.
