Catalonia will test smart traffic signs that detect cyclists on the road

The idea for the variable speed limits will be to force car drivers to be more conscious when sharing the road with those on two wheels

The Catalan Traffic Service (SCT) has announced that starting in September, it will conduct tests for intelligent speed signs placed on strategic spots where frequent bicycle traffic occurs. The electronic signs will change the speed limit on the road when they detect that a cyclist is in the vicinity so that vehicle drivers will slow down.

The news came shortly after a tragedy struck in the town of Castellbisbal, not far from Barcelona, where on Sunday two cyclists perished in a hit-and-run incident. However, the trial project for the signs had already been decided much earlier as a measure to introduce increased safety conditions on the roads for people using soft mobility devices.

Cyclists are the most vulnerable group in the traffic flow

In an interview this Monday, as quoted by CCMA, Ramon Lamiel, the director of SCT, explained that Catalan Government is already talking to the owners of the roads, especially with the Provincial Governments, to be able to "apply technology and speed control to the roads where vulnerable groups share mobility and vehicles".

The head of Traffic has opted for the installation of intelligent signalling, which is activated when it detects that there are cyclists and indicates the obligation to reduce one’s speed. He explained that it will start to be applied in September in “one or two tunnels”.

The tendering phase for this project has already concluded, meaning that the smart intersection warning drivers of the presence of cyclists will be installed between the towns of Centelles and Vic in central Catalonia. 

Lamiel has acknowledged that "not all roads can be filled with technology", but he believes that the most used ones can be identified, and the relevant measures can be applied.