Technology saves lives

摘要

Severe traffic congestion is experienced on freeways in most major cities of the world, and South Africa is no exception. Congestion has a negative effect on productivity, the running costs of vehicles, the time people spend with their families, as well as on the environment. Besides recurring congestion, which is normally experienced on weekdays during AM and PM traffic peaks, the occurrence of incidents such as crashes and stationary vehicles on freeways add further delays to travel times. The ability to detect, respond and normalise traffic flow on a freeway as efficiently as possible not only saves significant time and road user costs, but can also be the determining factor between life or death for those involved in serious freeway crashes, and the deterrence of further secondary incidents. The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL), realising the increasing constraints on the provision of infrastructure to effectively manage its road network and improve road safety, investigated alternatives by focusing on operational issues in response to road users' needs.