(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Drivers who try to escape traffic fines by slowing down just before speed radars, or fasten the seatbelt only when they spot a police patrol car, may not get away scot free with such acts, soon.
All thanks to an innovative project being conceptualised by students of Skyline University, Sharjah.
Aptly called 'Smart Street', the project suggests that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) equip every vehicle with a small, mobile phone-sized sensor that the road radars can detect using electromagnetic waves.
The sensor can also be connected to the vehicle's computer with a small screen, to show commands to the driver if he or she is driving above or below the speed limit, or have not buckled up. If the driver continues to drive recklessly despite the warning, he may be fined by the authorities.
Smart Street is on display at the Sharjah Innovation Week, on between February 15 to 21 - as part of the UAE Innovation Month - at Al Majaz Waterfront and the Sharjah Center for Astronomy and Space Sciences.
The project developers are students Saif Yazan Maslamani and Mahmoud Frejieh.
Saif said: "It is quite common to see reckless driving behaviour on the roads. While some drivers slow down near the radar to avoid getting flashed and speed up after they get past it, others switch lanes in a dangerous way. Ignoring the seatbelt rule is also quite common and puts the lives of the driver and passengers at risk. Such issues can be controlled by adopting this technology, as the sensor can be mounted on the vehicle and remains active as long as the car engine is on."
Dr Kakul Agha, who teaches Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Skyline University and the students' project mentor, said: "It is a futuristic idea focusing on road security and safety. It can become a reality in a fast moving, innovative country like the UAE."
Many drivers, who do not intend to speed, might end up speeding inadvertently and land up with huge fines, she said. "Mounting these sensors to alert drivers whenever they speed up or ignore safety signs is less expensive and more effective. Radar sensors give an audible warning and flash a light to alert drivers to slow down. The intensity of the alarm increases with the increasing speed," Dr Agha noted.
Mahmoud Frejieh said that the project's mission is to improve driving behaviour and force people to drive safely. Once the driver is aware that Smart Street can track everything they do, they will automatically improve driving habits and reduce accident-causing behaviours.
Frejieh suggested that this system be connected with the police department, so that drivers who continue to flout road rules are fined.
With the UAE innovation Month, Sharjah aims to transform innovation into an institutional culture with a positive impact on society, establishes a working curriculum for all government and academic institutions in the emirate, and encourages private sector-community cooperation.
Afkar Abdullah
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