Iteris' Vantage PedSafe System Helps Communities Achieve Their Vision Zero Goals

Blame it on dark roadways, speeding, or distractions, but either way, the nation has a pedestrian safety issue on its hands. Each year, more than 42,000 people are killed in traffic accidents on American streets and, as of 2022, some 7,500 pedestrians are struck and killed by a motor vehicle. Of those killed, 76% of collisions occurred after sunset. Meanwhile, pedestrian fatalities in lower income areas are nearly double those of other regions around the country. 

While drunk driving accounts for 43% of the deaths, something technology can't prevent, the majority (57%) are preventable and that's exactly what Iteris Inc.—a global player in intelligent transportation systems, advanced detection sensors and transportation software—is aiming to do with Vantage PedSafe.

Vantage PedSafe is the company’s advanced pedestrian safety system that is designed to work in all environments, whether it’s a low-light crosswalk or busy intersection. The new solution from Iteris combines detection, real-time countermeasures and data analysis into one system that can help communities support the safety of their pedestrians. 

Vision Zero Argues Accidents Aren't Inevitable

It comes at a time when an international effort is underway to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries. Known as Vision Zero, it is a strategy that sees traffic collisions as preventable, not inevitable. It leverages technology, enforcement and education to make the roads, crosswalks and intersections safer for everyone. It involves designing safer roadways and using technology to reduce the severity of crashes and accidents. It's also the main focus of Iteris with its Vantage PedSafe system. 

Take dark environments for starters. Since many of the pedestrian fatalities happen in low-light crosswalks and intersections, Iteris Vantage PedSafe is a radar-based solution that detects pedestrians and can illuminate an agency's existing signage to create a safer environment for everyone. The radar detects a pedestrian in real time and can automatically illuminate the signage to let the driver know a pedestrian is crossing. It can also alert pedestrians as they are crossing the intersection.

The company is currently capable of sending real time information to all connected cars, alerting drivers to a person they may not see if they are wearing dark clothing or the road is not well-lit. The radar system, which works in all lighting and weather conditions, can be installed at crosswalks, intersections and high pedestrian traffic areas such as school crossings. 

In addition to the radar system, Iteris' pedestrian information is automatically uploaded into the company's ClearGuide analytics program. That can enable users to get a better understanding of what's happening in intersections and what the best counter safety measures are to deploy. In addition to traditional intersections, the company says the same insights can be used at midblock crossings and unmarked crossings where pedestrians are likely to jaywalk.

Controlling Traffic Lights With Iteris 

Pedestrians stuck at a crosswalk when the traffic signal changes is another contributing factor to fatalities. After all, not everyone can get across in the average calculated time; whether it’s because of a disability, they have children in tow or are distracted. Iteris attempts to address that problem with its radar system. It sends a real-time message to the traffic signal to delay changing to green until the pedestrian is safely on the curb. Once the pedestrian clears the crosswalk, the traffic light will change to green.  

What makes this particularly attractive, says Iteris, is that its radar technology can work with all traffic lights on the market. What's more, it doesn't seriously impact the flow of traffic because the red light is only delayed when the slower pedestrians are crossing. 

Iteris' Vantage PedSafe system can also capture when pedestrians are crossing when they shouldn't be, and send the data to its ClearGuide analytics platform. There it can be leveraged to assess relative risk by comparing real-time traffic volume and speed with different timeframes. 

It can also identify locations where vehicles consistently exceed speed limits in zones near vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as school zones, giving agencies the data they need to take targeted safety measures such as putting up physical barriers, increasing the number of crossing guards and/or improving sidewalks and pathways connecting schools and neighborhoods. The data can also be used to stagger dismissal times and develop strategic drop off points. 

Pedestrian traffic deaths are a serious concern. So much so that some communities in the U.S. and other regions are committed to ending it once and for all. Iteris, with its advanced radar Vantage PedSafe system, wants to play a major role in that. To learn more about Iteris and its pedestrian safety technology, click here. 

Featured image by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

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