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Peter Olsen
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RTA 2007 Trial
The RTA's original 3-Year trial proved that flashing lights significantly improve road safety and also showed which lights were most effective. The government claimed however that the original lights were unreliable as they had an average of 2 faults in 18 months (99.3% reliability). They embarked on a new trial at 100 schools commencing in February 2007.
1. Ineffective Technology
The original 3-year trial found that the most effective lights were two simple flashing lights on the 40kmh sign. They were found to reduce average traffic speeds by 50% more than the next most effective lights, those with flashing lights plus flashing LEDs around the "40" numerals.
2. Unreliable
There were numerous faults with the lights during the second trial. See Media Releases link at left for examples. They were found to be 98.2% reliable overall.
3. High Price
The lights used in the original trial cost $12,000 per sign. The lights used in the second trial cost $36,000. They cost 3 times as much but were less reliable.
4. Unnecessary Back-to-Base Monitoring
Part of the high cost of the new lights was the back-to-base monitoring, an RTA requirement. In spite of that capability it took up to a week for faults to be fixed during the trial.
5. Poorly LocatedMany of the lights were installed behind trees, poles or bends in the road. What is the point of spending thousands of dollars on lights that cannot be seen? See Media Releases link for details. |