image
1

Sensor system installed on a light pole, Source: Vitronic

Hamburg keeps vulnerable road users safe with new sensor installations

Hamburg keeps vulnerable road users safe with new sensor installations

To optimise the waiting time for all road users

In Hamburg, sensor technology is being used to see if traffic lights sequence can be optimised to minimise wait times for all road users while still protecting the city's most vulnerable citizens.

In an effort to strengthen traffic management in Germany's second city and protect vulnerable road users, sensor technology has been implemented in Hamburg (CRUs).

The company that will install the sensors, Vitronic, stated in a press release that the aim of this test installation is to improve traffic flow while also increasing road safety for especially vulnerable road users (VRU). Pedestrians and cyclists, in particular, are at a higher risk of injury in the event of an accident due to a lack of protective environments and decreased visibility.

Analysing dangerous sections of roads

Vehicle manufacturers, technology firms, and testing organisations may use the system to test safety and assistance systems, as well as automated and linked driving functions in a real-world traffic environment on public roads. The test track includes facilities for the use of infrastructure-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity for this purpose.

The current target of Vitronic's studies is on a particularly dangerous section of road – an intersection reflecting a highly congested traffic junction in the Hamburg city area. It is about two kilometres northwest of the central train station and close to the congress centre.

The aim is to optimise traffic light regulation so that waiting and travel times for all road users are minimised. Green phases, for example, could be extended during peak hours to enable more cyclists and pedestrians to cross the road safely.

Vitronic says it has mounted two additional sensors, including a 3D radar, to improve traffic safety for vulnerable road users near the K94 junction. CPMs (Collective Perception Messages) may be sent to vehicles driving through the intersection in the future. Its content is intended to guide the attention of drivers or (semi-)automated vehicles, among other items, to situations identified by the sensor system that are potentially dangerous for VRUs.

Newsletter

Back

Growing City

All

Smart City

All

Green City

All

Social City

All

New European Bauhaus

All

Interviews

All

ECP 2021 Winner TheMayorEU

Latest