Heavy vehicles operated by crews on Stage 1 of the Mickleham Road Upgrade will be the first in Australia to benefit from new safety technology.
The new MAX-SAFE technology has been installed in some heavy vehicles being used on the road project – with trials of the attention-grabbing audible and flashing light alert system to help reduce the likelihood of unexpected collisions.
Without intervention, pedestrians, cyclists, and scooter riders could be at a heightened risk of entering a heavy vehicle operator’s blind spot. Instead, this system aims to negate this risk and maintain a form of visibility, especially during left hand turns.
Powered by an advanced artificial intelligence based smart camera, this Side View technology as part of the MAX-SAFE system is designed to detect specific vulnerable road users, but not other objects or obstructions.
Electronic flashing lights and alarms inside and outside the vehicle provide the operator the advanced warning they need to assist with avoiding an unexpected collision. It also acts to alert those outside of the vehicle.
Students dominate pedestrian traffic in the area during school terms, with close to 1000 students attending the nearby prep to year 12 Aitken College, with the Mary Queen of Heaven Primary School and other preschool facilities adding to this local vulnerable road user population.
The ground-breaking system trial is the result of collaboration between Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV), construction partner BMD, and SGESCO-MAX, to find new ways to reduce the likelihood of safety incidents with members of the public during construction.
Success of the new technology will be closely monitored and evaluated, with a view to rolling this and similar systems out more broadly across more of the state’s road projects.
“Today’s trials are tomorrow’s business as usual,” said BMD Senior Project Engineer, Todd Stemmer. “We’re so impressed by the technology that we’re looking to equip more of our heavy vehicles with this system to address blind spots for our crews.”
The safety trial is part of Stage 1 of the Mickleham Road Upgrade, which is building extra lanes in each direction on Mickleham Road between Somerton Road and Dellamore Boulevard, along with new traffic lights, intersection upgrades, and better walking and cycling connections.
Mickleham Road between Somerton Road and Dellamore Boulevard is used by more than 25,000 vehicles each day and is a key arterial route for Melbourne’s growing north-west.
Stage 1 of the Mickleham Road Upgrade is expected to be complete in mid-2025.
For more on the project, click here.