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SMART MOBILITY 2019

3...2…1 STOP

Increased stress levels on roads, the need to

curb green-house emissions and requirement
to reduce road rage have led to introduction
of several components into the traffic
management space. Count down timers, also

referred to as CDTs, have become an essential
auxiliary device for Traffic Control and
Junction Management, especially in India over
the past decade says Vaibhav Chavan, Head -

Smart Cities & Traffic, CMS Computers Ltd

he CDTs have not only improved levels of deceleration argument being that countdown
helped reduce stress, but and the drivers resisted from timers may be effective in fixed
also helped drivers come accelerating hard to beat the light. time signals, but for an adaptive
out of the dilemma zone The countdown timers functioned region or for an actuated
Twhen they approach on a simple sensing mechanism signal, CDT’s could bring in
a particular intersection during wherein the current flowing to inconsistencies - sometimes you
the respective Green Phase. The the RED and GREEN Traffic light give drivers certain information,
dilemma was mainly based on aspects was sensed. The duration sometimes you don’t – with a high
the decision that the human mind for which the sense remained potential of causing confusions.
had to take - “Should I press the high was sampled (called the Typically, for a fixed time signal,
Accelerator or the Brakes?” The learning mode) and displayed as the timings are programmed
Natural Intelligence of the trained a countdown on the device. The as per the plan and the traffic
human mind led to the vote sampling period would usually be controller keeps on running as
invariably going to acceleration, for two or three cycles. Once the per the programmed timing, thus
causing accidents. sense was sampled and the count allowing the countdown timer
to display the balance time since
This dilemma was solved started displaying, it kept on there would not be any change
with the introduction of very checking the sense period and the in the traffic cycle timing till the
simple and frugal device which stored sense time; in the event of next plan change. But in case of
camouflaged itself with the mismatch it would again go into an adaptive traffic signal control,
traffic light aspects and gave the the learning mode. the entire region or the corridor
road users the information they While this mechanism is widely is taken into consideration and
needed i.e. the balance time left adopted by over two dozen based on the demand generated
for a Light to turn RED or GREEN. countries around the world, CDTs by the critical intersection, the
This information contributed to have not found favor with the signal timings change accordingly.
improved intersection safety, with US Department of Transport. The The Countdown timer in this case

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