Software Speeds Response To Road Accidents

coondoggie alerts us to research out of Ohio State University that could help authorities respond to car accidents more quickly and ease traffic back-ups at lower cost, particularly in rural areas. The software improves the efficiency of communications from in-road vehicle detection loops to transportation engineers monitoring conditions in order to improve traffic flow. Faster response to accidents and traffic jams could have huge payoffs: a 2002 study estimated that traffic jams cost the average city almost a billion dollars a year.

Comments

Now..

[ThisIsWhyImHot]

If only there was some computer software that would stop people from slowing down and gawking at small fender bender, we'd have no more traffic jams.

Re:Now..

[bendodge]

In California police have been experimenting with setting up black tarps around accidents, and it seems to work very well.

Re:Now..

[moderatorrater]

Unless, of course, you understand the meaning of the word "minimum."

Re:Now..

[TubeSteak]

Not just California

Is it true that the state of Massachusetts is using large tarps to cover accidents so there would less rubbernecking", hence less accidents?
According to an AP story from February 23, The Massachusetts Highway Department is indeed using "large portable screens" to obstruct drivers' views of accident sites and decrease rubbernecking. The state has nearly 30 of these tarps, seven feet tall and up to 30 feet wide. The screens are assembled in five to 10 minutes, and, according to the Highway Department, have been used in about 15 accidents since their implementation in December of last year. The total cost for the current amount of screening equipment is just under $38,000. "Most of our feedback has shown they've been pretty effective," James Carlyle, a spokesperson for the Highway Department, told The Stamford Advocate. "It's no silver bullet for congestion, but it's been helping."
Last Updated: 25 Apr 2005

February 23, 2005 Here's an article from the Boston Globe
It says they were assembled in house & (then Governer) Mitt Romney brought the idea to their attention. Each set of screens costs $1,300 bucks, which, considering their benefits, seems cheap enough to me.

They key to success: Aim low.

[Scrameustache]

ease traffic back-ups at lower cost, particularly in rural areas. For my next trick, I will quickly and efficiently shave all the hairs off a dolphin!

Traffic as well

[bunburyist]

The article talks about software/hardware combos being used to alleviate road traffic jams. I think this is a very interesting advancement in the use of our road infrastructure. Currently, where I live (Ottawa) there is a huge problem associated with road usage and a non-scalable transit system. Here there is exclusively busses used as public transit. When the busses are using common traffic roads, there is often a pileup of busses arriving at once or no busses at all when they're stuck in traffic. If we were somehow able to analyze traffic patterns in real-time it would probably be possible to divert or add additional bussing to busy routes and avoid congested areas, thereby alleviating the current situation where there is no possibility for rail or subway and our bus system can't get any bigger. D

bad budgeting

[yagu]

If this is really true, big cities are spending over $1B a year for traffic problems, they should stop buying them and spend that money elsewhere.

Re:First thing's first

[edsyc]

I've lived in places where they would tell you not to move your car, so that it is easier for the cops to decide who caused the accident. I think some people won't move their car because, if they do, the guilty driver can lie and blame the accident on other drivers.

Re:About time.

[ushering05401]

True, we innovate. We also allow the innovators to strangle competition including those who would make incremental improvements to their designs.

Back on topic...

With the vast majority of major American cities possessing some of the shittiest public transit in the developed world, I see this innovative idea as yet another cash sink-hole that ignores the real problem. Whether or not you believe all the peak oil arguments, the fossil fuel environmental impact arguments, or whatever, it is pretty hard to argue that congestion and accidents in general could not be reduced by making real investments in quality public transportation.

I have lived in three of America's biggest cities for several years each and NYC was the only one with decent mass transit. True, the traffic there sucked, but a system like this will not have an impact on NYC streets. Further improvements to mass transit will.

The L.A. mass transit system was beyond inept. No where I else that I lived is even worth mentioning.

Regards.

Re:But where is the cost savings

[HolyCrapSCOsux]

Then we don't need Software. We need MONSTER TRUCKS!!!!!!
People get two warnings to get the hell out of the way. If they don't comply, they get run the hell over.
It will be expensive at first, but only a few examples will have to be made before people stop being assshats.

Driver: there is a wreck up ahead
Passenger: Get out of here man.
Driver: Why?
  - Sirens in background -
Passenger: We need to make way for emergency vehicles!
  - Crunching metal sounds coming closer -
Driver: Fuck them! I wanna see!
                I can see the wreck now, damn it looks pretty bad.
  - passenger exits vehicle just before truck destroys the car he just left -

Pan out to a cop standing on the road
Officer: You know there is a wreck up ahead, Remember, we'll get there whether or not you are in the way.

Voiceover: This has been a public service announcement from your State Highway Patrol.

CALTRANS has had that for ten years

[Animats]

CALTRANS has had that operational on Bay Area and LA freeways for the last ten years.

Here's the current status for the SF Bay Area.

The detector loops on the freeways report speed and traffic density data ("70 MPH, 14 veh/30 seconds"). A map display at the local CALTRANS control center shows spots where there's an unexpected discontinuity with the previous section. The control center then turns on the appropriate traffic cameras, which have pan, tilt, and zoom, so they can get a close look at the problem. They they can send tow trucks, ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, road repair crews, cleanup crews, or whatever's needed.

You can watch much of the camera output, alhough, being an old system, it's RealPlayer. Most of the cameras are pointed in somewhat random directions, because they're usually just left pointing at whatever incident needed to be looked at last.

You can see the incident log at the CHP incident log site. The control center sometimes initiates entries, but the guys who actually go to the site finish them.

Typical entries:

• Incident: 1662 Type: Traffic Hazard Location: SB I110 JSO W ADAMS BLVD
  1:09PM VEH STALLED IN LANES, PTY UNDER VEH WORKING ON IT
  1:13PM CHP Unit Enroute

Re:First thing's first

[melandy]

I've lived in places where they would tell you not to move your car, so that it is easier for the cops to decide who caused the accident.

I've always heard the same thing. However, "they" is my dad, who thinks that an accident is the end of the world and an opportunity for someone to cash in on suing you.

In the past when I have been in accidents, I've always left the car where it sat. As soon as the cops show up, they move the cars without looking at anything to get traffic moving again, so I've just succeeded in ticking people off for no tangible reason.

I decided to look up my local laws to see what the real scoop is. In Indiana (US), both IC-9-26-1-1-1 and IC-9-26-1-2-1 state the following: "Immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close to the accident as possible in a manner that does not obstruct traffic more than is necessary." These are the relevant codes for immediate action to be taken by the drivers in accidents that involves injury or death (1-1-1) and accidents that do not (1-2-1).

I think that the "in a manner that does not obstruct traffic more than is necessary" is subject to the opinion of what is "necessary" to the driver(s), but the spirit of the law is to get out of the way.

YLLMV (your local laws may vary)

Link in post is outdated -- here's the new one!

[Science_Writer]

Hi, everyone. I'm the author of the news release referenced in the post... It looks like you linked to an older story. The new one is here: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/smartbox.htm Thanks for posting it! Pam Gorder