Monrovia, Calif., Uses Space Program Technology to Make Street Intersections Safer During Emergency Calls

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Monrovia, Calif., Uses Space Program Technology to Make Street Intersections Safer During Emergency Calls

CALIFORNIA, MONROVIA, Apr. 25 -/E-Wire/-- Space program technology began helping to make the streets of Monrovia safer today as the nation's most advanced emergency vehicle intersection safety system became operational as part of an E-ViEWS Safety Systems, Inc. traffic signal preemption and visual display demonstration project.

E-ViEWS Chief Executive Officer Jim Davidson said his firm's emergency vehicle early warning safety system has been designed, with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA/JPL) assistance, to help reduce the toll of 15,000 U.S. intersection collisions that occur annually when police, fire and ambulance vehicles respond to emergency calls.

"Through our partnership with Monrovia, this new E-ViEWS equipment will be evaluated by NASA/JPL researchers over the next three months as city police and fire units respond to emergency calls using a unique signal preemption system featuring lighted warning signs and flashing icons to alert motorists of an emergency vehicle's approach," Davidson said. Monrovia Mayor Lara L. Blakely said her city is very proud to be the national demonstration host for this innovative traffic safety project intended to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce municipal liability costs.

As part of the E-ViEWS Monrovia Demonstration Project, E-ViEWS is supplying and installing approximately $600,000 in equipment at eight Monrovia intersections without cost and, in turn, the city will help evaluate the system before it becomes commercially available in July.

"We are very excited that Monrovia firefighters, police officers and residents will be the very first to benefit from this new generation of traffic safety equipment," Blakely said.

Former Monrovia Mayor Robert T. Bartlett, who championed the city's association with E-ViEWS, said that since he has had an ongoing involvement with integrated transportation initiatives, he was quick to offer Monrovia's help when E-ViEWS was seeking a host city for the demonstration project.

"By being first, I believe Monrovia and all those who drive our streets also benefit first from this high-tech solution to an ongoing traffic safety problem," Bartlett said. "When you consider the potential life-saving and injury-prevention benefits, it is very gratifying to see Monrovia at the forefront of this transportation research and development program." Over the next three months, Monrovia Police Chief Joseph A. Santoro said he will help evaluate whether the E-ViEWS system speeds response times as police and fire vehicle drivers find they can be more assured of the intersection right-of-way through E-ViEWS' exclusive preemption confirmation feature. In the event two emergency vehicles approach the same intersection from different directions, only one will be notified it has the right-of-way priority while the other is alerted that it does not have the right-of-way priority.

"This is especially important in any city where police, fire and ambulance vehicles are all given preemption capability but are dispatched separately," Santoro said. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our officers to safely shorten emergency response times when every moment counts."

Monrovia Fire Chief Peter M. Bryan said his firefighters and paramedics will benefit daily as they cross eight intersections where E-ViEWS equipment is being installed. Included in the project are seven E-ViEWS-equipped signalized intersections along Huntington Drive, the city's busiest thoroughfare. "At a time when everyone seems to be driving quiet, sound-insulated cars with windows closed and radio or stereo music playing, our fire truck operators just cannot rely on lights, sirens or horns to notify motorists of their approach," Bryan said. "That is why we see the advanced warning signs feature of the E-ViEWS system as a major safety benefit for motorists and firefighters alike."

For firefighters alone, U.S. National Traffic Safety Board statistics indicate that 40 percent of those who die each year on duty do so while traveling to the scene of a fire or medical emergency. In addition, for 1999 U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics involving fire trucks, there were 73 percent more deaths during emergency calls, when lights and sirens were operating, than when the trucks were driven at other non-emergency times. Although signal preemption systems have been available for years, the E-ViEWS system is the first to combine preemption with programmable visual displays and flashing icons to alert everyone at the intersection of the emergency vehicle's approach. This visual alert is especially valuable for the 32 million Americans with hearing impairment.

When an emergency vehicle operator activates preemption, three intersection signals change to red to stop traffic and while one signal remains green for emergency priority travel. For motorists and pedestrians at the intersection, high-intensity LED (Light Emitting Diode) warning signs and flashing icons are used to inform everyone of the emergency vehicle's direction of travel. Future E-ViEWS systems also will incorporate audio alerts to warn pedestrians of approaching emergency vehicles.

The E-ViEWS system also can be used in a low-priority mode to allow extended green signal timing for buses, street sweepers, snowplows and other maintenance vehicles benefiting from a more continuous operation. In addition, the LED signs can be programmed for a variety of messages, including alerts during police pursuits.

"For E-ViEWS, the Monrovia project is only the start of a new generation of intelligent intersection safety equipment that benefits from technology provided by the NASA/JPL Technology Affiliates Program," Davidson said. "With NASA/JPL assistance, we also are developing warning systems for railroad grade crossings, plus ground-based automatic vehicle identification and location communications." Technology Affiliates Program Director Dr. James A. Rooney said E-ViEWS has been supported by NASA/JPL since 1994 and is one of only 180 U.S. companies to receive technology transfer assistance since the program began in 1987.

"Our goal has been to help adapt space program technology for everyday uses, and the E-ViEWS system certainly meets a need for improved intersection safety," Rooney said. "The E-ViEWS equipment relies on advanced microwave technology that also can serve as a key communications link to central traffic management systems."

During the demonstration project, Rooney said system refinements will be made to optimize operations, and Monrovia's proximity to NASA/JPL's Pasadena-based staff will help facilitate that process.

Although E-ViEWS Safety Systems, Inc. was formed in October 1998, the inspiration for today's emergency vehicle warning system began in 1978 when founder Davidson was nearly involved in a traffic accident with a fire truck as it crossed a red-signalized intersection. After that experience, his vision to develop technology that would both preempt the intersection signal and visually warn motorists and pedestrians of an emergency vehicle's approach has led to today's operational demonstration and plans for offering commercial systems by July. Additional information on E-ViEWS is available at www.eviewsinc.com.

E-ViEWS Safety Systems, Inc.

http://www.eviewsinc.com

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