Digital Triangular Road Signs for Improving Road Safety

Abstract

Road accidents result in the loss of life and property, and statistics reveal that they are now the leading cause of death worldwide, surpassing diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and diarrhoea. One area contributing to road accidents is vehicle breakdowns parked on roads. Usually, drivers of broken vehicles use emergency triangular road signs (reflective triangles) to alert oncoming drivers. However, the effectiveness of reflective triangles is hindered by the inability of oncoming drivers to notice those reflective triangles at a reasonable distance due to bad weather and the topographical structure of the road. To solve this problem, the present paper develops a Digital Triangular Road Sign (DiTRoS) algorithm. The algorithm complements reflective triangles installed on the rear and front sides of the broken vehicle to warn oncoming drivers. Development of DiTRoS algorithm builds on navigation system enabled by global positioning system that works on portable devices –specifically the smartphones. The DiTRoS algorithm is tested in the natural environment. Results demonstrate that the DiTRoS algorithm is effective in notifying oncoming drivers in advance about the presence of the broken vehicle. The study ends by recommending minimum distance at which an oncoming driver may start receiving alerts.