A new smart traffic system, COPS@zebra LITE, which will increase pedestrian safety at the crossing close to the primary school, has begun operating in Bovec. The system warns drivers in real time that they are approaching the pedestrian crossing, and encourages them to drop their speed as they do so. This is particularly important in this area, which sees significant increases in traffic during the summer tourist season. The investment, which arose as a collaboration between Zavarovalnica Triglav, the Municipality of Bovec and the Tenzor company, represents a major step towards safer school journeys and greater road safety for local residents and the large number of visitors who descend on the town in the summer months.
The smart system has been installed at the pedestrian crossing close to Bovec primary school, on the local road between Bovec and Plužna, which is a location used by children on a daily basis as they travel to and from school. Traffic is particularly heavy in this area in the tourist season. The increased number of vehicles, tricky lines of sight and increased numbers of pedestrians are three of the main reasons why this location was chosen.
The COPS@zebra LITE system uses active lighting signals to warn drivers that they are approaching a pedestrian crossing, and encourages them to take greater care and adjust their speed in good time. It also collects traffic data that can help in the planning of further measures to improve road safety.
For a safer tomorrow for children
“For a number of years, Zavarovalnica Triglav has been making strenuous efforts to improve road safety for the most vulnerable road users, with a particular focus on children and on ensuring that they enjoy safe routes to and from school. We are delighted to have joined forces with Bovec local council and the Tenzor company to install this system close to the primary school – a system that will provide additional warnings to drivers of the presence of pedestrians and improve the everyday safety of children, their parents and all residents of Bovec,” said Zavarovalnica Triglav’s western regional director Jože Celin.
For more than a decade, Slovenia’s biggest insurer has been co-financing the installation of smart traffic systems in collaboration with municipalities and Slovenian tech companies as part of its Together For Road Safety campaign. These systems can prevent the main causes of road accidents on local roads: poor visibility and unclear lines of sight, speeding and insufficient distance from the vehicle in front. Analyses show that installing such systems at high-risk locations can reduce the number of accidents by up to 80%. These systems are connected to a network that continuously records and analyses driver behaviour.
“Road safety is one of our municipality’s top priorities, particularly in areas where children can be found. This new system in the immediate vicinity of the primary school is an additional step towards creating a safer environment for our children, and for all pedestrians who use this crossing. We believe that the system will make a significant contribution to improving the traffic culture and road safety in the area, and I would like to give particular thanks to Zavarovalnica Triglav, a company with which we have collaborated on a large number of projects in the wider Bovec area designed to improve the safety of residents and tourists,” said Valter Mlekuž, mayor of Bovec.
Preventing accidents at the most critical points
COPS smart systems are the product of Slovenian knowledge and know-how, and are designed to prevent accidents at the most critical points. These include intersections with poor lines of sight, unsecured level crossings, and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. More than 130 COPS systems are in operation at various critical road safety points around the country.
“The COPS@zebra LITE system has been designed with the aim of warning drivers in real time of the importance of paying extra attention as they pass through critical points. By providing active warnings, the system helps to reduce speeds and raise the alertness of drivers in the vicinity of pedestrian crossings. We are delighted that this solution will now ensure greater road safety in Bovec,” said Miha Senčar, Tenzor’s managing director.
DRAJV map offers further assistance
The DRAJV map, a free digital traffic map of Slovenia, has been around for five years, helping local councils identify dangerous sections of road. It gathers together in a single place data about the most dangerous sections, and the most common challenges faced when driving in Slovenia.
– there has been a fall of 80% in the number of road accidents at points at which COPS systems have been installed
– the three systems for warning drivers to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front show that the number of drivers who do not observe a safe distance has fallen by more than half
– according to the available data, 30 km/h zones are where drivers find it hardest to adjust their speed
