Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 23:40, 22 April 2024

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{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}

'''Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling''', usually abbreviated to '''MIDAS''', is a UK distributed network of [[traffic]] [[sensor]]s, mainly inductive loops, (trialling at the moment radar technology by Wavetronix and magneto-resistive wireless sensors by Clearview Intelligence), which are designed to alert the local regional control centre (RCC) to [[traffic flow]] and average speeds, and set [[variable message sign]]s and advisory speed limits (or mandatory speed limits on [[smart motorway]]s) with little human intervention. Companies such as RAC, TomTom and Google use this traffic flow data via halogens reporting systems.

Originally installed on the congested western stretch of the [[M25 motorway]], much of the [[M60 motorway]] around [[Manchester]] and the Birmingham box (M6, M5 and M42), MIDAS has been installed on all but the most minor stretches of UK motorway. The system has successfully reduced accidents.<ref name="hacost">{{cite web|url=http://www.ha-research.co.uk/projects/index.php?id=437|title=Cost effectiveness of MIDAS|publisher=Highways Agency|accessdate=2007-01-07|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008103143/http://www.ha-research.co.uk/projects/index.php?id=437|archivedate=8 October 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Additionally, the system is installed on parts of the non-motorway trunk road network including the [[A14 road (England)|A14]].<ref name="A14">{{cite web |url=http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/22585.aspx |title=A14 Corridor Traffic Management Scheme |publisher=Highways Agency |accessdate=2011-07-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605103135/http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/22585.aspx |archivedate=5 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Although all stretches with MIDAS have at least small signals in the central reservation to show advisory speed limits for the whole carriageway, major motorways often also have text [[Variable-message sign|variable message signs]], and on the busiest stretches, lane control signals above each lane. Additionally, many motorways, called [[smart motorway]]s, have now been equipped with the newest signs and signals for variable mandatory speed limits and lane control.