Caltrans automated warning system provides real-time info to motorists

Updated Jan 3, 2017

screen-shot-2016-12-29-at-10-44-14-amThe California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has strengthened its automated warning system (AWS) throughout the state as a means of increasing traffic safety and efficiency to the more than 30 million registered vehicles there.

Caltrans’ AWS systems are being installed to monitor road conditions, weather and travel times, and provide real-time details to motorists. To monitor these conditions, wire loops are embedded in the pavement to determine travel speeds and when traffic is stopped. Weather conditions are monitored by roadside weather stations and visibility meters.

The department says in the future it will install Bluetooth sensors that will be able to read signals emitted from mobile devices and navigation systems in passing vehicles.

“As California’s population continues to increase, so does the number of motorists on the state’s highways and interstates,” the agency reports. “This growth presents Caltrans with the complex challenge of continuing to provide and maintain a reliable, sustainable transportation system, while also innovating to increase safety and efficiency.”