Millimetric radar used in incident detection trial

Date: 4/3/2010

Source: ‘Clear ahead?’ Thinking Highways, Vol. 4, No. 4, pg. 56-58

Navtech Radar’s latest 77GHz millimetre wave (MMW) radar sensor solution for incident detection was successfully trialled during both a hard shoulder monitoring scheme on the M42 and in a tunnel in the South East of England. Atkins, on behalf of Highways Agency, conducted a trial of the Navtech Radar detection system in the Southwick Tunnel on the A27 in Sussex. In a tunnel environment, the radar system was found to have an extremely low false alarm rate of approximately one per 24 hours.

On the M42, the technology was tested as part of the HASMOS (Hard Shoulder MOnitoring System) project.  Although the system was only set to report slow moving vehicles, it can also provide data on the speed of vehicles in each lane over an 800m radius from a single roadside-mounted detector.  The HASMOS project reported that the millimetric radar system had a good detection rate.

This technology is characterised by low installation and maintenance costs.  It also shows promising performance regardless of fog, sunlight, dust grime or snow.

Keywords: Emergency, Incident, Monitoring