Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Road traffic sensor}}

{{other uses of|MIDAS}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{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 with(or littlemandatory humanspeed intervention.limits On the M25 andon [[M42smart motorway]]s,) thewith MIDASlittle helpshuman setintervention. mandatoryCompanies variablesuch speedas limitRAC, signsTomTom asand partGoogle ofuse thethis ''controlledtraffic motorwayflow data via halogens reporting scheme''systems.

It isOriginally installed on several sections of the United Kingdom's busiest motorways, such as the congested western stretch of the [[M25 motorway]] and, much of the [[M60 motorway]] around [[Manchester]], and the Birmingham box (M6, M5 and M42), andMIDAS has been installed on all but the most minor stretches of UK motorway. The system has successfully reduced accidents.<ref name="hacost">{{cite_webcite 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_webcite 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.

The system replaced the Automatic Incident Detection '''(AID)''' system which was trialled in 1989 on an {{convert|83|km|0}} section of the [[M1 motorway]].<ref name="hacost" /> MIDAS was first installedoperated on the M25 in 1997,the afterSouthWest thisquadrant before the section alreadywent hadlive thewith a [[variable speed limit]].

By March 2006, the [[National Highways Agency]] aimsaimed to have MIDAS installed on more than {{convert|910|km|0}} of the English motorway network.{{specify|date=December 2011}}

==See also==

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==External links==

*[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080926005822/www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/documents/b040206_v1.2.pdf Highways Agency: Variable Message Signs (VMS)] (PDF)

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:CarAutomotive safety]]

[[Category:Traffic signals]]

[[Category:Road transport in England]]

[[Category:Traffic signs]]