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 – turning into a busy highway – safer for all motorists.
The Rural Intersection Speed Zone (RISZ) system – the first of its kind to be trialled in NSW – 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. The reduced speed creates safer gaps in traffic, giving drivers more time to react and allowing vehicles entering the highway-particularly larger, slower-moving vehicles-to merge more safely before the speed limit returns to normal.
Designed specifically for rural intersections, RISZ aims to reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes while avoiding the need for permanent speed reductions on high-speed roads.
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.
The technology was designed and built by Transport for NSW’s Operational Technology Infrastructure team at Yennora in Western Sydney.
While similar systems are used in Victoria, this is the first trial of its kind in NSW. The trial will start in early August and will run for 12 months.
The trial is part of the Smarter Highways initiative, which is delivering innovative technologies to improve the safety, reliability and resilience of the NSW highway network.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley:
“The Hunter has always been a place of firsts – a place where ideas are tested, proven and put to work. Trialling this new, smart technology is another example of our region leading the way and delivering practical outcomes.
“We all have a role to play in making our roads safe and this trial is about using innovative technologies to help keep people safe on our roads in the Upper Hunter.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison:
“Road safety has traditionally focused solely on seatbelts and speed limits. Today, as our roads become busier and the vehicles using them change, technology is helping us tackle the next generation of road safety challenges.
“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.
“We know risky behaviours like not driving to the conditions or sudden breaking contributes to deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
“The technology uses radar to detect vehicles approaching the intersection and temporarily lowers the speed limit on the highway. This creates safer gaps in traffic, helping larger and slower vehicles enter the highway more safely.
“This is just one of the Smarter Highway trials the Minns Labor Government is rolling out across regional NSW – harnessing technology to address known issues and make our roads safer”.
Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Upper Hunter, Emily Suvaal:
“This initiative is a great example of smart technology solving a real problem for drivers in our region.
“It’s great to see the Upper Hunter at the forefront of testing new technology that could benefit communities right across the sate”
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/smarter-highways-program
