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Pilot programs are underway for “smart signs” that use infrared and microwave technology to detect distracted driving and speeding
- Smart signs can tell if a driver is speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or using their phone and will remind them to drive safely.
- Technology is being piloted in locations across the country, including Seattle and Washington, D.C.
- The signs cannot collect personal data and don’t issue tickets, but act as a reminder to stay focused.
Portable signs that show drivers a digital readout of their speed and tell them to slow down if they’re speeding are a common site on the road today. In some places, those signs will now tell distracted drivers to put their phones down, too.
“Smart signs” that use infrared and microwave technology are being trialed in different locations across the country, such as Seattle, Washington, and Washington, D.C. Cities say these devices can tell if a driver is speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or driving distracted.
Read: US Traffic Deaths Still Too High Despite 2023 Decline
Like the above-mentioned digital speed readouts, the smart signs can’t actually punish drivers. However, NPR reports that they can warn the driver that they’re committing a faux pas, and tell them to “put your phone down,” in the hopes of discouraging the bad behavior. On the other hand, people who are driving well are greeted by a smiley face.
Tim Hogan, the CEO of SaferStreet Solutions, which makes the signs, said that the technology can reduce distracted driving by up to 40 percent when it’s left in a single location for a month. Any improvement in driver focus is a positive.
According to a recent report from Cambridge Mobile Telematics, which tracks driver behavior for insurers, there has been an alarming rise in phone use behind the wheel in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic.
“By almost every metric CMT measures, distracted driving is more present than ever on US roadways,” the company wrote in a recent report. “Drivers are spending more time using their phones while driving and doing it on more trips. Drivers interacted with their phones on nearly 58 percent of trips in 2022.”
At the same time, the danger on America’s roads rose sharply during the pandemic, and the high level of fatalities has been described as a national crisis. Although deaths fell slightly in 2023, they are still significantly higher than they were before the pandemic, and last year more than 40,000 people died on America’s roads.
Community organizers, such as the Washington Traffic Safety Coalition, hope that these signs —which do not use cameras and cannot collect personal data — will act as a reminder to drive safely. As a result, it has started a pilot program using four smart signs that will rotate around 12 locations, including Seattle, Algona, King County, and more for eight weeks at a time.
Lead image: Fox13/YouTube
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