When motorists drive in the opposite direction of traffic flow, the consequence is typically fatal owing to the high speeds and head-on accidents.
A horrifying story about Wrong-way driving
Diane Schuler's deadly car accident in 2009 is a well-known wrong-way driving case. Ms. Schuler was driving an SUV with her daughters and nieces as passengers at about noon on July 26th when she entered the Taconic Parkway in Westchester County, New York, United States of America, going in the wrong-way. She drove at speeds of up to 125 km per hour for about 3 km before colliding with another automobile and killing the three passengers of that car, as well as herself, her daughter, and three nieces. Her five-year-old kid was unharmed. Her toxicology revealed that she had consumed twice the legal limit of alcohol and THC. While her story both appalled and drew the American's attention, it is far from unique.
Statistics of wrong-way driving accidents are going up
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS), there were 2,921 fatal wrong-way collisions resulting in 3,885 deaths between 2010 and 2018—an average of 430 deaths each year. Over half of these deaths were wrong-way drivers (52.8%), a tiny number (5.7%) their passengers, and nearly four in ten (41.1%) by occupants of other cars.
“Wrong-way crashes on divided highways are often fatal as they are typically head-on collisions”, David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation, said in a statement. “And unfortunately, as the data shows, fatalities from these crashes are on the rise.”
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SR-TWWID – Thermal Wrong-way Intelligent Detector
SERNIS developed a solution to put the brakes on wrong-way driving. The SR-TWWID is a thermal technology-based system that detects vehicles driving in the wrong-way
with real-time image processing. When a driver is detected is activated a set of warnings through vertical signs to alert the driver to get the vehicle in the correct direction before a serious incident happens.
To ensure greater reliability, this system has a thermal camera that doesn’t see sun glare responding only to the heat signature, detecting and giving you 24-hour detection of vehicles regardless of the amount of light available, delivering accurate detection of vehicles in the inverse direction.
SR-TWWID key features
The system can be remotely monitored:
- Viewing images online;
- Visualization of the number of wrong-way detections;
- Visualization of the image by wrong-way detection;
Send a wrong-way alert by SMS or Email
Control dynamics signs to alert the wrong-way-driving vehicle
Works with different types of road pavement
Stand-Alone system. Doesn’t need physical connections to other devices to operate
Can be remotely configured via a mobile broadband connection:
- Configuration of ROIs;
- The direction of movement;
Ability to query images/videos whenever a confirmation is needed
Sensor + camera in the same housing
Accurate and editable zone positioning
Reliable operation 24/7
Easy installation – above-the-ground sensor
Powered by solar or electric energy
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The use of a thermal camera improves its precision
Thermal camera features
24-hour detection, at night and in the most difficult weather conditions
Detection over a long range and across different lanes
No need for additional lighting
Long-range night view - heat signatures of vehicles can be seen clearly from miles away
Isn’t blinded by direct sunlight and only responds to the heat signatures that detect
Reliable detection:
- In daylight transitions;
- In the sudden variations in lighting conditions such as street lighting, car lights,
shadows, etc.;
- In the presence of other elements such as trees, lampposts, etc.
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Learn more about SR-TWWID here.
