Vitronic Solution to Reduce Road Accidents

VITRONIC is to install twelve PoliScan-speed enforcement units on Lithuanian state trunk and regional roads this summer. The laser-based PoliScan-speed automatically detects speeding motorists on up to three lanes of traffic simultaneously. Each year in Lithuania, accidents involving vehicles travelling at excessive speeds cause 300 fatalities. By using this next-generation equipment, authorities aim to cut this figure by 25% before 2010.

PoliScan-speed uses LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to measure the speed of vehicles travelling in multiple lanes, and track vehicles changing lanes. High-speed cameras capture high-resolution images of offending vehicles’ drivers and license plates. The system adds these to a digital case file for evidence purposes, which includes other incident-related data, such as the date and time. In Lithuania, Poliscan-speed will automatically forward case files to the Police Traffic Supervision Service via a wireless connection for further processing.

Although PoliScan-speed is used extensively abroad, Lithuania is one of the first to benefit from its new ‘dual-use’ design. This allows authorities to move what would be fixed units to other roadside housings, or mount them within a vehicle or on a tripod. This means PoliScan-speed can be repositioned to suit changing traffic conditions, making it versatile and suitable for a wide range of applications.

Each of Lithuania’s twelve PoliScan-speed units features lane specific speed detection and enforces vehicles travelling parallel to or closely behind others, which often confuse previous systems. Red flash lighting or infrared illumination enables seamless operation twenty-four hours a day and in poor weather.

Michael Leyendecker, Vitronic’s International Sales Manager, comments; “PoliScan-speed is a flexible product and ideal for challenging traffic situations where other systems are inadequate. Both the driver and license plate number are clearly visible in a single image, enabling authorities to tackle speeding motorists fairly. We are working closely with Lithuanian authorities and our local partner company, Sonex Technologies, to deliver a cost effective solution.”