Radar Speed Signs | How They Work

November 20, 2020 06:55

One of the most common problems faced by the traffic management people is the overspeeding vehicles. Such vehicles are majorly responsible for road accidents and road rage. With so many vehicles running on the road, there is a need for Intelligent Traffic Management where there is a blend of technology and human resource. Radar Speed Signs are one such development in the field of ITM or Intelligent Traffic Management which has revolutionized the way traffic flows.

They are the modern traffic controllers which don't need human interference and works on radar signals.

As mentioned above one of the most common reasons behind the rising number of road accidents is an overspeeding vehicle. It can result in a life threatening accident for the one who is driving and for those who are commuting. In order to cater to this issue, authorities have taken many stringent steps but manual efforts are not sufficient. There needs to be a system in place which can automatically guide the driver to slow down the speed and alarm them in case they are over speeding.

Radar speed signs or traffic calming device or driver feedback signs are a great way to achieve this. Researchers have shown that the radar speed signs have been able to cut down the speed of the overspeeding vehicles around 80% of the time which is a promising figure. And the best part about these signs is that they work without any manual interference. 

What is a Radar Speed Sign?

Radar Speed Signs are communicative signs which are illuminated with LED which is installed on board. Owing to their compact size, these are a perfect replacement for those large and bumpy traffic calming devices. You don’t need some extra space to keep them or mount them and their small and sleek design adds to the aesthetic value of the place.

How do the Radar Speed Signs work?

One of the most talked about the question that may also gain your attention is, how do these signs work. The radar speed signs work on Doppler Effect. These signs have been developed in a way that it emits radio waves and calculate on the basis of the reflected radio waves which come from the passing vehicle.

The radar speed limit signs measure the time between the sending and receiving of the signals and this time difference is now converted into distance. The process is repeated again and the radar speed signs calculate the new distance. The new distance cannot be the same as the vehicle has moved and is now closer to the sign. The speed is calculated based on the two different distance and the speeds that get reflected on the sign.

These devices allow the operator to feed the speed limit of the vehicle, if the vehicle is going above the speed, it alarms the driver about the overspeeding.

There is also a provision for mounting the sign on the vehicle which helps in calculating the speed of the approaching vehicles. You can usually find it on the police van or cars of traffic authorities.

The radar speed signs are a highly utilitarian product, they not only help the traffic authorities but at the same time, it also helps the driver to maintain the speed limit. Owing to this, these signs have become a must have for places which experience high traffic or are sensitive like schools, residential societies, hospitals etc.

How does it impact the people?

The radar speed signs have been found very effective when it comes to traffic control, it helps in defining the speed limitfor a specific area. It alarms the driver of the speed limit and also intimates them in case they are over speeding.  It also informs about the speed of the approaching vehicle which helps them in managing the speed.

Thus, these signs have become a necessity more than a compulsion. With the help of these devices, it is sure that we can have an apt management traffic system which will remove the bottlenecks and streamline the traffic.