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The Next Generation in Speed Cameras

Posted by OptoEdit in community | Optotraffic | Safety | Schools | Speed Camera | Speed Sensor Systems - (0 Comments)

June 18:  The next generation in automated speed enforcement is Optotraffic’s Silver Hawk(c) providing bi-directional, lane specific enforcement. It is a fully integrated and portable unit ideally suited for multi-lane, high traffic routes where manned speeding enforcement is most challenging.

The small but durable aluminum housing contains all the critical enforcement components including, patented “Above the Road” LIDAR speed sensors, command and control computers, advanced digital imaging, data storage devices and wireless communication links. Light and small, its design makes it easy to attach the unit to a typical utility street light pole enabling deployment or re-deployment within 24 hours. For more information, visit http://www.optotraffic.com/index.php/equipment/silver-hawk.

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Long Term Changes for Better

Posted by OptoEdit in community | Optotraffic | Schools | Speed Camera | Speed Sensor Systems | Speeding - (0 Comments)

June 7:  It is not uncommon in the news to hear reports of the number of speed cameras deployed, the number of citations issued, or the number of dollars collected using automated traffic enforcement systems.  Optotraffic certainly recognizes that these are valid bits of information, but we are more interested in longer term statistics.  A County Councilman in Maryland recently noted that there has been an actual change in driver behavior since cameras were deployed — particularly around schools.  Likewise, the Police Chief in Washington, DC noted that traffic fatalities declined by 76 percent after automated systems were installed. That’s the real news!

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Court Stats

Posted by OptoEdit in Optotraffic | Police | Speed Camera | Speed Sensor Systems - (0 Comments)

November 12:  When Prince George’s County, Maryland police had issued one million citations using the Optotraffic speed camera solution, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at court records.  Only 0.51 percent of the million citations were contested in court and of that number only 0.04 percent of those citations were not upheld by judges—primarily for hardship reasons.

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Accuracy is Paramount

Posted by OptoEdit in Optotraffic | Police | Safety | Speed Sensor Systems - (0 Comments)

October 15:  Optotraffic’s equipment is a major public safety tool in Prince George’s County, Maryland and, of course, accuracy is paramount for an automated speed enforcement system.  During the first year of deployments, more than 2500 calibration verification tests were conducted by police measuring the Optotraffic equipment against calibrated radar guns and calibrated speedometers in police vehicles.  In all tests before enforcement begins all three measurements must be within plus/minus one mile-per-hour of each other.  That’s accurate!

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PORTABLE SPEED ENFORCEMENT – An Efficient Solution For Public Safety

Posted by admin in Portable Speed Enforcement | Speed Sensor Systems | Speeding - (0 Comments)

Every week across the country people die or become injured due to speed related accidents. Whether they are motorists, pedestrians or highway construction workers, each instance is a tragedy that can and should be avoided.

Speed sensor enforcement systems, using lasers and other imaging technologies, are proven systems enabling municipalities to significantly reduce the number of traffic violations and crashes. It has been widely shown that the perception of the risk of getting a ticket strongly influences motorists’ driving behavior (IIHS – 2009 Statement before Maryland Senate Committee on Judicial Proceedings on Senate Bill 277.)

Optotraffic, based in Lanham, Maryland and with more than 50 employees, provides automated laser speed sensor and camera technology and support services to local governments – - to reduce speeding in school zones and increase public safety in many jurisdictions, municipalities and towns. Thirty units operate in more than 12 localities in the State of Maryland.

The company uses in-house developed and patented space laser technology – LIDAR, an application of our company’s pioneering expertise in the space industry – that provides highly-accurate, low cost traffic monitoring and enforcement solutions. The company delivers sophisticated, accurate, secure automated speed enforcement systems.

The Portable Solution

Optotraffic was the first provider in Maryland to deploy automated laser sensor speed enforcement programs following passage of the Maryland law authorizing such enforcement in school zones, and also is the provider in the State with experience in primarily portable systems.

These patented portable systems require no attendant on site. The camera-part of the system – - used to document the presence and identity of speeding autos – - uses space technology, digital photography, and fast processing speed. It is housed in a small 4-foot wide trailer suitable for deployment on any street. It works with ease in dense traffic and multiple lanes simultaneously.

Because this unique camera system is portable, one camera system enforces multiple locations. Public safety improves over a large geographic area.

And the system can be deployed very rapidly, usually within four hours to respond flexibly to different traffic conditions and enforcement needs.

Portable Versus Fixed or Mobile Systems

Fixed installations generally require many months to put into place, and are generally used only in high-volume locations.  Since the systems are so effective, they soon accomplish the goal of reducing speed. Since they are fixed in place at that location, and unable to be used to solve other problems, they are not available to reduce speeding at other locations.

Mobile, vehicle-mounted installations are of very limited utility, and usually involve parking a vehicle by the side of the road. Besides typically being able to enforce only one lane at a time, they require manpower to operate the systems.

Optotraffic’s portable solution provides a state-of-the-art speed enforcement solution. Features include:

  • True lane-specific undetectable across-the-road speed sensing
  • Completely autonomous operations with no operator required
  • A whisper-quiet diesel generator to eliminate the need for power hook-up
  • Mast-mounted technology, allowing the system to “look over” multiple lanes to catch violators on all lanes of a multi-lane road.

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Public Safety Benefits of Laser Speed Sensor Systems in Maryland

Posted by admin in Speed Sensor Systems | Speeding - (0 Comments)

Speed sensor systems, installed in school zones and highway work zones in Maryland, successfully serve the goals of public safety. These laser based speed sensor systems use patented light detection and ranging technology from Lanham, Maryland-based Optotraffic, similar to the ones that company has provided to NASA which make measurements within a few centimeters from hundreds of miles in space.

These  systems have a proven track record of reducing both the number of speeders, and the speed of autos,  in high-risk school zones, reducing traffic accidents, injuries or fatalities and increasing public and pedestrian safety at school crosswalks.

For example, in Forest Heights, Maryland,  prior to the installation of the state-of-the-art speed sensor system from Optotraffic of Lanham, Maryland,  in a school zone along a busy highway, studies indicated that approximately 6,000 vehicle per day traveled at speeds in excess 11 miles per hour over the speed limit. Tragically, before the sensors, there had been a number of fatalities there due to speeding accidents. In the year since the Optotraffic speed enforcement system was installed, the number of speeders has been significantly reduced, and there have been no fatalities.

In another Maryland location, Riverdale Park, the number of mailed speed citations declined 70% in about three months.  And in the city of College Park, – - home of the main campus of the University of Maryland, speed citations dropped approximately 75 % after only 6 weeks of operation.

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