Clearview ends 2018 on a high way
A road safety initiative implemented by Clearview Intelligence along a major trunk road in Scotland has contributed to an international road safety award.
Scotland TranServ was named the winner of the Innovative Road Safety Solutions category at the annual Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards for a series of improvements across its network, including those undertaken by Clearview along the A75.
The accolade follows successful contributions by Clearview to award winning projects recognised at this year’s National Transport Awards and Highways Awards as well as a feature on BBC’s The One Show promoting Clearview’s prized SolarLite Active Road Studs.
Nick Lanigan, Managing Director for Clearview Intelligence, said: “Our involvement in this latest award win has topped off a hugely successful year for us and one which we will be looking to build upon in 2019. We are delighted that in so many instances our solutions have proved not only to be successful, but worthy of national recognition.
“We take pride in ensuring that every project we undertake meets the needs of both the client and the road user, so to have this endorsed by industry experts confirms that the solutions we are providing really are innovative. Having recently relocated our headquarters to Milton Keynes, we now have a state-of-the-art demonstration area that really reflects the quality of solutions we have to offer.”
The Innovative Road Safety Solutions category took into consideration various projects undertaken by TranServ and Transport Scotland, including Clearview’s improvements along the A75 where HGVs were found to be a blameworthy factor in more than half of all accidents between 2006 and 2015.
Research showed KSI figures for the A75 were one-and-a-half times higher than the average for trunk roads in south west Scotland. Furthermore, despite cars accounting for between eight and nine times the volume of HGVs, accidents involving HGVs were six times the national average for this type of road.
Using data from STATs 19 on Transport Scotland’s IRIS programme, it was identified that HGV speed was a predominant cause of accidents, alongside other contributing factors. A vehicle activated sign system was introduced to tackle the problem, using Clearview’s vehicle count and classify device.
By identifying the speed and class of vehicle, the different national speed limit warnings could be shown to the passing vehicle via VAS to drivers travelling above the safe speed for the road. Since its installation in 2015, accidents involving HGVs have fallen 31 percent; HGV speed has dropped by five percent and all vehicle speed has reduced by 12.5 percent.
“This installation was the first of its kind, so we had to get it right,” said Nick. “Since its installation there has been a proven reduction in speed and accidents which has led to TranServ rolling out replica schemes on other routes across the area.”
The latest award win follows on from previous victories for Clearview earlier in the year.
At the CIHT awards in June, the same project along the A75 was highly commended in the John Smart Road Safety Award category.
In October, Transport for Greater Manchester & Manchester City Council, Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road Cycleway was named the winner of the Excellence in Cycling and Walking category at the National Transport Awards.
Clearview had worked in partnership on the Oxford Road Cycleway aspect of the scheme, installing its SolarLite Active Road Studs as an alternative to traditional retro reflective studs to highlight the rerouted cycle path.
The following month, at the Highways Awards, Clearview was named a joint winner alongside WJ Group and Highways England in the Road Marking Project of the Year category in recognition of improvements along the A38.
Clearview had installed its SolarLite Active Road Studs to enhance delineation and visibility along the dual carriageway and was subsequently interviewed by BBC’s The One Show which featured the product to an audience of about five million.
“It really has been a year to remember,” said Nick. “But we are viewing this as a start point. With three national awards and a new headquarters under our belt in 2018, we will use this success as a platform to enhance our solutions and continue to build the business in 2019.”
