Roadept

Motorists on the Dutch highways are mostly dependent on static signs along the road to know the currently valid traffic rules, like the speed limit or if the emergency lane is opened. The fact that the signs that are supposed to tell the motorists what rules hold are only present once every few kilometers, more than often results in confusion on the road. This confusion may lead to a ticket, a traffic jam or even an accident. The matrix signs above the road have showed an improvement of road safety, but these are only available at 41% (2004) of the Dutch highway network and they are still roughly 700 meters apart.

Roadept aims to solve these problems by digitalizing the road lines on the highway. This ensures that motorists are always up-to-date on the most important traffic rules on the highway. The road lines will move at the same speed as the speed limit. Motorists can adjust the speed of their car until they move at exactly the same pace of the road lines. In the case that a traffic jam or accident is ahead, the lines can turn their color into flashing red to warn the motorists for upcoming danger. During rush hour, the emergency lane may need to be opened up to free up space. The lines can change their appearance from solid to striped, which removes all uncertainty among motorists. Roadept will consist of LED strips, ensealed in a weather-proof casing. The challenges of this idea mostly lie in the realization of the digitalized road lines. They need to operate at temperatures between -10 and +60 degrees, while also being able to withstand large masses. Furthermore, traffic on the highway relies heavily on the road lines, so (almost) perfect reliability is required as well.