Encyclopedia > Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling
Motorway Incident Detection and Automatic Signalling, usually abbreviated to MIDAS, is a distributed network of traffic and weathersensors, speed cameras and variable speed signs which control traffic speeds with little human supervision. In many parts of the world traffic is generally organized, flowing in lanes of travel for a particular direction, with interchanges, traffic signals, or signage at intersectons to facilitate the orderly and timely flow of traffic. ... Composite satellite image showing the progress of a hurricane weather system approaching the east coast of America Weather comprises all the various phenomena that occur in the atmosphere of a planet. ... A sensor is a technological device or biological organ that detects, or senses, a signal or physical condition. ... A red-light camera in use in Beaverton, Oregon A road-rule enforcement camera is a system including a camera and a vehicle-monitoring device used to detect and identify vehicles disobeying a road rule or road rules. ...
It is presently (2005) installed on the congested south-western stretch of the M25 motorway in the UK (near Woking) and the system has successfully reduced congestion. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... Woking is a large town in England, in the west of Surrey. ...
It is anticipated that MIDAS will be fitted to the rest of the M25 and selected other routes in due course.
MotorwayIncidentDetection and AutomaticSignalling, usually abbreviated to MIDAS, is a distributed network of traffic and weathersensors which are designed to set variable message signs and advisory speed limits with little human intervention.
It is presently (2006) installed on several sections of the United Kingdom's busiest motorways, such as the congested western stretch of the M25 motorway and much of the M60 motorway around Manchester and the system has successfully reduced accidents [1].
The system replaced the AutomaticIncidentDetection (AID) system which was trialled in 1989 on an 83 km section of the M1 motorway.
It is for the most part a three-laned motorway although there are a few stretches which are two-laned and a few (seemingly shorter!) stretches which are four-laned.
It is thought to be Europe's busiest motorway: an estimated 200,000 vehicles a day make use of it, up from 100,000 a day in 1987.
The M25 is not circular since to the east of London the crossing of the Thames between Thurrock and Dartford[?] is on the A282 using the Dartford Crossing which consists of two tunnels and a bridge.