New Artificial Intelligence technology is to be trialled in Scotland to help improve the safety of roadworkers.
The Forsite Connected Safety System, developed by Australian road safety technology company Acusensus, will be deployed across the trunk road network to detect dangerous driving as vehicles approach roadworks and provide staff with early warning alerts through wearable technology.
The system uses cameras and radar to monitor oncoming traffic for speeding and erratic driving behaviour, and will be used by all of Scotland’s trunk road operating companies in what Transport Scotland says will be the first trial of its kind in Europe.
Acusensus is already well known in the UK highways sector for its Heads-Up artificial intelligence camera technology used to identify offences including illegal mobile phone use and failure to wear a seatbelt. The company expanded into the UK in 2022 and its enforcement technology has since been used in a series of trials and operational deployments including an ongoing project in Scotland.
Acusensus launched Forsite Connected Safety last year as it applied its experience in artificial intelligence, sensing and analysis to the challenge of protecting people working alongside live traffic. The system is already being used on worksites in Australia, including by infrastructure and traffic management companies.
Rather than simply recording an incursion or incident, the technology is designed to identify a developing threat early enough to give workers time to move out of danger. Cameras and radar monitor approaching vehicles, with machine learning analysing factors including speed, trajectory and lane position to determine the level of risk. The system can detect movement at distances of up to 240 metres before sending targeted vibration and light warnings to connected wearable devices. Forsite says workers can typically receive around eight seconds’ warning of a potential impact.
The technology also records events so that safety teams can analyse near misses and identify patterns of risk. Its cloud platform provides live site maps, incident logs and analytics including information on high-risk areas, allowing contractors and road authorities to use the information to inform future safety measures.
Transport Scotland says vehicle incursions into roadworks have become an industry-wide safety issue, and the trial will assess whether the Acusensus technology can provide another layer of protection for people carrying out maintenance and other work on the network.
“Our roadworkers play a vital role in keeping Scotland moving, and they should be able to carry out their jobs safely,” explained Cabinet Secretary for Transport Stephen Flynn. “This trial of innovative camera technology aims to better protect staff carrying out essential maintenance by providing earlier warning of potentially dangerous driving. Sadly, vehicle incursions into roadworks have become an industry-wide issue in recent years. That’s why we are taking action to improve the safety of our workforce. I look forward to seeing the results of this trial and the positive impact this technology could have on protecting roadworkers.”
Tom Milner, UK/Europe Commercial and Operations Lead from Forsite Connected Safety, added: “Forsite is built around a simple principle: providing time to act changes the outcome. The earlier a worker is alerted to a risk of a dangerous vehicle, the more time they have to act. This technology is about giving roadworkers clear, direct warning when approaching vehicles presents increased risk, and providing teams with accurate, objective site information to proactively inform and improve the safety controls for their workers.”
Meanwhile Duncan Crilley, operations supervisor at BEAR Scotland, commented: “You see it every day – people jumping lights. Drivers racing through convoy set-ups, cones, and barriers. People should respect roadworkers. They are only doing their job. I feel relieved when my team come in and nothing has happened, they are heading home to their families. That is what drivers need to remember: drive past roadworkers as if they are your family – they are someone’s family.”
Meanwhile Garry Head, Operating Company Representative for Amey’s South-West Trunk Road Network, said: “Amey wants every roadworker and road user to go home safe and well at the end of the day, and any innovative new technology that can improve safety and reduce the number of incursions is welcome. Every incursion puts a roadworker in the path of a vehicle that could injure or kill them. Drivers may not realise they are also in danger, not just from entering a live construction site, but also from risking disqualification, a heavy fine or even a criminal prosecution if someone is harmed.”
(Picture – Forsite)
