Delaware’s Department of Transportation launches an alert system for commercial trucks that offers real-time notifications of upcoming traffic congestion and sudden slowdowns.
All freeways in the state will be covered by the alerts – notifying truck drivers about hazardous locations such as drastic speed changes or when heavier than normal congestion is detected. They are in addition to other alerts truckers already receive for high rollover areas, low bridges, and railroad crossings.
DelDOT’s C.R. McLeod says with recent record highs in traffic fatalities, they are always looking for ways to make roadways safer.
“Truck traffic is only continuing to increase across the state," McLeod says. "For example, that’s one of the driving reasons why we built the new U.S. 301 around Middletown several years ago because of this continued growth in truck traffic and the anticipated growth in truck traffic.”
McLeod says large trucks and tractor trailers take much longer to slow down than passenger vehicles, and with increasing truck traffic throughout the state, these alerts are another tool for highway safety.
“We’ve seen it happen sadly, where there is a cue of traffic that’s stopped and a truck takes much longer distance to stop than a car, and we’ve had trucks that crash into those slowed vehicles, and tragically, they can result in fatalities," McLeod says.
The technology comes from Drivewyze, an intelligent transportation system service working to revolutionize transportation safety and efficiency. McLeod says six other states are participating, and Drivewyze offers the app for free.
Drivers in Delaware already receive some safety notifications through the Drivewyze software application embedded in existing compliance equipment like Electronic Logging Devices, but the app is also available on Android and soon iOS devices.
