Australia
Center for Intelligent Road Surfaces SPARK
Infrastructure Magazine, 14.03.2022
On March 14, an article was published in the electronic journal INFRASTRUCTURE on the SPARK Center for Intelligent Road Surfaces in Australia as part of the Australian Research Council.
SPARK was established in July 2019 and is the country's first joint research platform for the field of road surfaces.
SPARK's vision is to transform the Australian pavement industry by making them more sustainable, durable, safe and economical.
SPARK develops new road surface testing methods that reproduce operational conditions to assess the long-term characteristics of granular geomaterials under repetitive traffic loads and changing climatic conditions.
These methods are more economical, faster and user-friendly and will contribute to the efficient selection of materials for road construction/rehabilitation.
Predictive models are being developed to improve the design methods of these durable and climate-resistant road surfaces, for example, a model for predicting temporary changes in humidity in the pavement layers due to changes in climatic factors during the service life.
SPARK's other areas of activity include:
- "intelligent construction", which is the laying of the road surface using advanced sensor technologies and automation;
- quality control of compaction and uniformity of the road surface;
- intelligent compaction analyzer (SICA), a software and hardware complex for laying road surfaces.
The article contains the contact details of SPARK's management and getting more information and interaction.
United Kingdom
The UK public is not ready for autonomous driving
Traffic Technology Today, 11.03.2022
The UK's largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has found that most drivers are not really ready to entrust driving to a car, despite the fact that autonomous vehicle technology has huge potential to improve road safety.
A study conducted by the charity in its annual Safety Culture Report, which assesses drivers' attitudes to key road safety issues over time, found that 59% of drivers agree that the growing ability of vehicles to drive independently poses a serious risk to their personal safety.
Autonomous vehicle technology can dramatically reduce the number of accidents on UK roads, but this will only happen if the new systems are used correctly, which will only be achieved through effective driver training and proper marketing campaigns that will help motorists understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, notes: "The public is still not fully convinced of the new technology. In order to gain this trust, we recommend that a proper course of training in autonomous driving technologies be included in driver training programs in the UK, giving motorists the opportunity to understand how they work. Equally, drivers should also be aware that excessive use of these systems can also have a negative impact on road safety for both motorists and pedestrians. "
IAM RoadSmart's call for a change in driver training programs is also justified by the fact that the UK has given the green light to self-driving on motorways using systems such as ALKS (automatic lane keeping system), as well as new forecasts that 10% of all vehicles will be at least partially autonomous by 2030.
Interim report on the Clean Air Zone project in Birmingham
Highways News 13.03.2022
Birmingham City Council has published an interim report on the results of the creation of a Clean Air Zone, which provides evidence that the level of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is decreasing in the city center.
This is the first report since the launch of the project in early June 2021, which uses data collected between June 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
The Clean Air Zone operates in the central part of Birmingham on the A4540 Middleway and was introduced with the aim of reducing the level of NO2 to an acceptable level as soon as possible. To do this, strict emission standards were set for vehicles entering the zone. If the vehicle's emissions exceed the established limit, a fee is charged for entry.
The main conclusions of the report:
- a decrease in the level of NO2 was achieved (when comparing the results of 2019 with the results of 2021) by an average of 13%;
- since the launch of the clean air zone, the average compliance rate for entry into the zone of all categories of vehicles has increased from 79.8% at the beginning of June 2021 to 88.8% at the end of December 2021;
- the level of compliance for passenger cars increased from 81.8% in June to 89.9% at the end of December 2021;
- The compliance level for light trucks (LGVs) increased from 63.3% at the beginning of June 2021 to 77.4% at the end of December 2021.
The Clean Air Zone is the first of many projects implemented under the Brum Breathes program, which will be followed by other initiatives to reduce the level of air pollution in the city. These include the deployment of fast electric vehicle (EV) charging points in Birmingham, the introduction of hydrogen buses and the deployment of air quality monitoring sensors in all areas of the city.