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Introducing:
The Intelligent Work Zone System
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…finally, a system to prevent dangerous merging
when approaching a work zone!
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Dangerous merging near work zones
A very serious problem occurs when aggressive motorists pass other vehicles when two lanes merge into one near a work zone. As these aggressive drivers approach an area with a lane restriction, most drivers will merge into the single lane early, and in a fairly orderly fashion…and will be driving at acceptable and safe speeds.
The problem occurs when an aggressive driver will stay in, or even speed up in the dropped lane until the very last moment in an attempt to get an advantage over the other drivers. This causes the driver to perform a dangerous and quick lane merge in congested traffic, with limited time and space—putting both drivers, their passengers and the road worker at risk!
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760 Deaths per year occur from motor vehicle
crashes near or in work zones in the United States
…and 39,000 people are injured!
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A study also showed that rear-ends and side-swipe accidents occur much more frequently in work zones then in other areas. The safety of both highway workers and drivers and their passengers continues to be a big concern for MN/DOT and other local and state organizations.
There are 3 Problems That Occur With Dangerous Merging
- Risk of accident during the actual lane change: Because vehicles are usually packed in tight on this single lane, there are few openings drivers often become aggressive in order to merge into the continuous lane.
- If the lane merge is successful it disrupts the flow of traffic: Usually someone will have to slow down or stop in order to create an opening for the incoming vehicle, forcing all motorists behind to adjust their speed. This disruption causes a chain reaction and rear-end accidents are a normal result. Although in many incidents an accident doesn’t occur near the merge point, the impact is felt further upstream.
- Road Rage–motorists become impatience and angry: The aggressive motorists who pass a long line of waiting traffic and then merges into the front of the line, get an unfair advantage and time savings over the other drivers. This causes frustration, anger and impatience in other drivers who now must wait longer. These negative emotions and anger can linger, causing these drivers to possibly be more aggressive down the road.
What is the solution: Create a Dynamic “No passing Zone”
An Intelligent Work Zone addresses this aggressive behavior by creating a no passing zone of adjustable length, based on current traffic flow. Motor vehicles can be stopped from attempting to enter the continuous lane at the lane drop point by creating a no-passing zone ahead of the construction zone. This forces vehicles into the continuous lane before the final merge point, avoiding the problems we mentioned above.
Results and Benefits of Intelligent Work Zones
The Intelligent Work Zone is portable and can be easily implemented at a construction zone and can be advanced as construction work advances, or it can be moved to another location.
The benefits of the system include: creating a safer work zone, reducing accidents, reducing “road rage”, assisting in the prevention of aggressive and dangerous merging and reducing traffic flow and congestion.
