Drivers in the Upper Hunter will soon be part of a trial of smart highway technology designed to make one of the most dangerous driving manoeuvres safer for all motorists.
The Rural Intersection Speed Zone system, the first of its kind to be trialled in New South Wales, will soon be switched on at the intersection of Ulan Road and the Golden Highway near Cassilis, between Merriwa and Dunedoo. Using radar, the system detects vehicles approaching the intersection on Ulan Road and temporarily lowers the speed limit on the Golden Highway using variable speed limit signs, creating safer gaps in traffic and giving drivers, particularly those in larger, slower-moving vehicles, more time to merge safely before the speed limit returns to normal.
The fully self-contained, solar-powered system combines vehicle detection, variable speed limit signs, communications and remote monitoring technology in a single unit, managed through a centralised control system. While similar systems are used in Victoria, this is the first trial of its kind in New South Wales, and will run for 12 months from early August as part of the Smarter Highways initiative.
Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison said it abouts making our roads safer.
“I’m very pleased this new technology, designed and built in NSW, will be trialled in the Upper Hunter. A region home to significant freight movement and busy road corridors,” she said.
“We know risky behaviours like not driving to the conditions or sudden breaking contributes to deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”
