At an awards ceremony Tuesday, the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration(FHWA) recognized the Washington State Patrol and the Washington State Department of Transportation for their joint project developing an infrared commercial truck brake screening system.
Operators of commercial vehicles need to check that their brakes are in working order frequently, but there are those who do not take the time to do so, jeopardizing their lives as well as those who travel the roadways alongside them.
Officers check brakes at weigh stations throughout Washington State, but this can be time consuming and expensive. Members of the Washington State Patrol and the Washington Department of Transportation worked together with new technology software to create the Automated Infrared Roadside Screening(AIRS).
The AIRS system inspects each and every vehicle’s brakes as it enters an AIRS-equipped weigh station at ordinary travel speeds, without deterring a vehicle, and without the operator’s awareness. The resulting analysis is immediately displayed in the weigh station for an enforcement officer in a simple graphical format. Those vehicles with a potential faulty brake(s) are emphasized in red.
“The Automated Infrared Roadside Screening system is both a timesaver and a money saver,” said Gregory M. Cohen, P.E., Executive Director of the Roadway Safety Foundation. “This tool allows the state to conduct appropriate safety checks while still maintaining freight mobility and avoiding a negative effect on the state’s economy. We hope to see the cost effective Automated Infrared Roadside Screening system grow and expand nationwide.”
“We will never compromise safety, but we will always work to be more efficient,” said Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste. “I could not be more proud of those who developed this terrific use for infrared technology. My thanks to the Roadway Safety Foundation and the Federal Highway Administration for recognizing their work.”
National Roadway Safety Award recipients were evaluated on three criteria – innovation, effectiveness, and efficient use of resources. Program categories included infrastructure improvements, operational improvements, and program planning, development, and evaluation.
Blue Ribbon Panel Judges included: Philip J. Caruso, Deputy Executive Director for Technical Programs, Institute of Transportation Engineers; Gregory M. Cohen, P.E., Executive Director, Roadway Safety Foundation; William A. Crank, Senior Community Relations Manager, Michelin North America; Anthony Giancola, P.E., Consultant, formerly of the National Association of County Engineers; Michael Griffith, Director, FHWA Office of Safety Technologies; Tony Kane, Consultant, formerly of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and Richard Pain, Transportation Safety Coordinator, Transportation Research Board.
Roadway safety programs are a critical part of the nation’s solutions to saving lives and preventing injuries on our nation’s highways. There were 32,367 people killed in traffic crashes on U.S. roads in 2011.
For additional information on RSF, please visit www.roadwaysafety.org; on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/roadwaysafetyfoundation; and on Twitter at @roadway_safety, #RoadwaySafetyAwards
For additional information on FHWA safety programs, please visit http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov; on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/pages/Federal-Highway-Administration; and on Twitter at @USDOTFHWA, #RoadwaySafetyAwards
