Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará, has just implemented an intelligent lighting model for crosswalks. Installed at the Praça Portugal roundabout, in the middle of the intersection of two of the city's major roads, the system could help reduce traffic accidents.
Powered by artificial intelligence, the system is capable of detecting human presence based on movement. When the dynamic lighting is activated, light beams track pedestrians from the start to the end of the crosswalk. The light improves driver visibility, especially at this specific location, where vehicles navigate a curve.
Regardless of which direction the pedestrian is walking, the lighting system works the same way. Other features include the ability to record pedestrian flow, and a built-in camera will monitor how the crossing occurs—detecting, for example, whether people are crossing within the crosswalk or outside of it.
AMC technicians are evaluating the system, which is currently in its pilot phase, in partnership with Intelligent Security Systems (ISS), the company responsible for creating the system—dubbed SecurOS Soffit.
“Our expectation is that the dynamic lighting will significantly increase drivers' visual-motor response times, allowing them to brake in time and prevent pedestrian collisions,” says Lélio do Vale, coordinator of the Mobility Center for Life Preservation in Traffic at the Municipal Transit and Citizenship Authority (AMC).
According to the city government, Fortaleza was chosen to receive the SecurOS Soffit because it has “become a national benchmark in road safety.” The administration highlights that, in 2022, the capital recorded its eighth consecutive year of traffic death reductions. There were 158 fatalities on the city's streets, a 58% decrease compared to 2014, when 377 people lost their lives.
The city also points to other urban mobility policies implemented in recent years, such as lowering speed limits to 50 km/h on streets and avenues with high accident rates; raised pedestrian crossings, sidewalk extensions, active plazas, and traffic-calming zones with 30 km/h speed limits; advanced stop lines for motorcycles; and the expansion of the bicycle lane network and dedicated bus lanes.
Via CicloVivo
This article was written by Marcia Sousa. The translation is powered by AI.
