Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc. Announces Line of Non-Intrusive Sensors That Can Eliminate Need for Dangerous Lane Closures for Specific ApplicationsMay-2008 (ST. LOUIS, MO May 2008) – Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc. (QTT) has researched and developed an entire suite of traffic and weather sensing products that are not placed in the roadway, thus eliminating the need for dangerous lane closures for installation. With roadway traffic volumes continuing to increase, it is becoming more difficult and dangerous to install traffic sensors in the roadway or on top of the road surface. QTT’s new “Q” line of sensors provides a solution for these challenges, while meeting the increasing demand for non-intrusive traffic monitoring technology. The “Q” family of sensors utilizes non-intrusive technology to measure pavement temperature and condition, and traffic data. QTT’s thermo-Q™ sensor measures pavement temperature, while the terra-Q™ sensor determines pavement condition. A third new non-intrusive sensor, the trans-Q™, utilizes radar technology to detect traffic count, speed, and length. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 95 fatal crashes occurred in maintenance work zones in 2006.1 While this might not seem like a large number when considering the entire number of drivers encountering lane closures due to maintenance activities on a daily basis, but any fatalities that could have been avoided is significant. “Non-intrusive sensors are becoming imperative as traffic volumes increase on our nation’s highways,” says Jerry Waldman, Midwest Region Territory Sales Manager for QTT. “Measuring weather and traffic data from the side of the road and is an excellent complement to intrusive sensor technology, especially for customers who need to retrieve valuable pavement data from precarious roadway applications.” “An obvious question is, ‘“What if we never had to perform the lane closure at all?’” Performing lane closures for road repair or resurfacing are a fact of life, but when installing such things as a traffic counter or pavement temperature sensor it becomes a little more cost prohibitive. In-pavement sensors to collect traffic or weather data have been around for over 30 years; however, the trend is changing toward safer, non-intrusive sensors. These non-intrusive sensors measure data safely from the side, or overhead, of the roadway. There are various technologies used for gathering data from the roadway, with both permanent and portable products available.” The thermo-Q sensor uses infrared technology to detect pavement temperature, and provides remote readings during all-types of weather. An optional design of the thermo-Q, known as the thermo-Q 360, includes adjustable features (pan and tilt) and the ability to measure multiple surface temperatures. The terra-Q sensor utilizes an electro-optical sensor to detect pavement conditions, and is ideal for providing essential pavement condition data in areas of roadway that are known “trouble zones”; roadway configurations that include sharp corners; or bridge structures where intrusive sensors cannot be located due to structural design issues. The trans-Q radar traffic classifier is an excellent alternative when other portable traffic sensors cannot be used because of location, safety or other regulations. The sensor detects all passing vehicles in two directions and data is easily retrieved with a corded PDA (Palm) or wireless Bluetooth connection. Jon Tarleton, Marketing Manager and Transportation Meteorologist for QTT adds, “Although measuring road weather conditions may never be as accurate as in-pavement sensors, the potential savings [cost and lives] is tremendous, and encourages deployment of more sensors where it was previously not possible or too costly.” About Quixote Corporation Quixote Corporation (www.quixotecorp.com) through its wholly owned subsidiaries Quixote Transportation Safety, Inc., Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc. and Quixote Traffic Corporation, is the world's leading manufacturer of energy-absorbing highway crash cushions, truck-mounted attenuators, intelligent intersection control systems, computerized highway/advisory radio transmitting devices, electronic wireless measuring and sensing devices, weather monitoring stations, flexible post delineators and other highway safety products and services. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, FARS Encyclopedia: Query |
