A device to warn inattentive drivers they are approaching a red traffic light

Publication Summary

A device is disclosed which can be added to traffic signals at intersections to detect vehicles approaching a red light at an unsafe speed and trigger a strobe or other visual or audible indicator to warn inattentive drivers that they are approaching a red light, and to warn other nearby vehicles of the approaching unsafe vehicle. This can reduce traffic accidents, property damage, injuries and fatalities caused by drivers running red lights, both by alerting inattentive drivers and by warning others to stay out of the intersection. The device consists of a video camera connected to appropriate image-processing hardware and software, plus a visible strobe light and/or audible siren which the software can trigger. The device could be manufactured inexpensively and would not require elaborate connections to the signal control logic or network.

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Language	English (United States)

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A device to warn inattentive drivers they are approaching a red traffic light

One cause of traffic accidents is inattentive drivers running through red lights. Whether distracted by passengers, cell phones or simply daydreaming, drivers can sometimes inadvertently pass through a red light without stopping. Worse, they can approach a stopped line of vehicles without slowing, a classic cause of rear-end collisions. An inexpensive and non-intrusive warning/reminder system mounted alongside the signal light in the intersection could help prevent the property damage, injuries, and fatalities that sometimes result from red-light runners.

The invention consists of a device that is attached to the red-light signal pole and active only when the red light is lit. The device flashes a strobe when it detects an approaching vehicle that is not slowing appropriately for the red light. One may think of it as an automated replacement for a backseat driver saying "Hey! Wake up! That's a red light!" In addition, it can help other drivers "see around the corner" and know that a vehicle is approaching at an unsafe speed from a direction that has a red light.

The disclosed device could be inexpensively manufactured and would not require elaborate wiring, networking, central monitoring, or modifications to the signal control system. It would not require FCC approval as a radar emitter, or courtroom-grade auditability to support citations. The device only needs a low-resolution camera, an image-processing computer, and a strobe light. The only external connection is for power, and this could come from the same source that powers the red light itself.

The device mounts on the arm of the pole that holds the signal light(s). It aims down the road at approaching traffic. (You would have at least one device per traffic direction to be monitored, or potentially more for wide intersections or lanes with different controls.) The device's power comes from the same source that illuminates the red light, so the device only has power when the light is red. The camera system can identify a moving vehicle using appropriate image-processing software. If it detects a vehicle approaching with a combination of speed and acceleration (or lack of deceleration) that exceeds a programmed threshold of safety, the device triggers a strobe light (and perhaps an audible noise) to alert the approaching driver.

In addition, the strobe and/or noise could serve to alert other drivers near the intersection that a vehicle is approaching with a speed and acceleration profile in excess of safety limits. This can warn other drivers to stay out of the intersection rather than put themselves in the path of the inattentive driver.

Implicit in the design is a way to narrow the field of view of the device to cover just the approaching lanes of traffic, and a way to train or adjust the device regarding "safe" and "unsafe" approach speeds. One strategy m...

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