Transport for West Midlands has launched a new pilot project, in partnership with VivaCity, to identify and diagnose dangerous sites and hotspots on the road network.
VivaCity sensors provide real-time and historical traffic flow data, with the intention of helping to form an evidence base for decision making.
Under the new collaboration, the 32 sensors used by local West Midlands authorities will be upgraded to include the Near Miss feature.
The Near Miss feature combines object speed and path data to understand interactions between two road users in order to estimate the likelihood of a collision.
VivaCity expects the data gathered to help local authorities, like TfWM, identify and diagnose dangerous sites and hotspots on the road network.
The project has two phases; the first is to monitor insights from VivaCity’s Near Miss data over 6-12 months.
The second phase includes using these insights to determine future locations that would benefit from the upgraded sensors.
The overall aim of this project is to better diagnose the root cause of collisions, provide insights as to why these are occurring and recommend potential solutions to help prevent them in the future.
Andy Street, mayor of West Midlands, said: “Our existing partnership is going a long way in future-proofing our road networks, however, with the added benefits of Near Miss technology, local authorities will be empowered to help prevent future road collisions by being aware of issues before the worst happens.
“Our shared mission is to innovate road traffic networks to make improvements for local people across the board. Road safety is of paramount importance so it is great to be working with VivaCity to help make this a reality.”
Adam Tranter, the region’s cycling and walking commissioner, said: “Road safety is a top priority and we need to use all the tools at our disposal if we are to reach Vision Zero.
“VivaCity’s Near Miss technology highlights issues which usually fly under the radar but that may need further investigation and improvement.
“The Near Miss technology is focused on protecting vulnerable road users, pedestrians and cyclists, from harm and I’m grateful to VivaCity for their continued collaboration on our shared mission to make our roads safer.”
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