Intelligent traffic solutions and technology business SWARCO UK & Ireland has developed and installed bespoke Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) for Swansea Council which use AI-powered technology to identify motorcycles and warn riders when they are exceeding the speed limit.
The technology has been developed following a successful trial and is designed to activate only when it detects an approaching motorcycle.
The system combines AI-powered camera technology with enhanced radar and thermal imaging to identify riders, display their speed in real time and show an “ARAF SLOW” warning when they exceed the speed limit.
The initiative follows Swansea Council’s 2024 collision review which found motorcycles were involved in nearly 16% of road collisions in the city, compared with a Welsh national average of 12%.
SWARCO installed a prototype in December 2025 on Carmarthen Road in Cwmdu, where two motorcyclists have died since 2012. Following software refinement and closed-road testing involving police motorcyclists, the signs are now being deployed more widely across the city.
The signs are designed to give riders an immediate indication of their speed within their natural line of sight, reducing the need to repeatedly look down at their motorcycle dashboard. Speed information and the status of the signs can also be monitored through SWARCO’s MyCity traffic management platform.
The project builds on SWARCO UK & Ireland’s existing relationship with Swansea Council. The company has previously supplied bespoke VAS across the city, including signs introduced to support changes to speed limits in Wales.
Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure at Swansea Council, said: “The latest statistics in relation to accidents involving motorcycles is something we want to see lowered in Swansea. We’ve identified a number of locations where motorcycle riders are most vulnerable when using excessive speed.
“We now have an opportunity, using the latest technology, to assist riders with more information on the road to remind them of local speed limits and hopefully encourage them to ride responsibly and reduce the risk of an accident.”
Derek Williamson, Head of Urban Sales at SWARCO UK & Ireland, added: “The brief from Swansea Council was clear: the VAS needed to recognise motorcycles and respond to the way they use the road.
“Working in partnership throughout the development and testing process, we were able to deliver a solution built around that need and fit for the locations where it will be used.”
The project is supported by Welsh Government funding through its Road Safety Initiative.
