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Project Highlights

Roadside Truck Placard Reader for Advance Notice and Response at Safety-Critical Facilities

This project is analyzing the performance of an Automated Placard Reader System (APRS) under real-world operating scenarios. The APRS has the capability to determine hazmat placard information clocked at various speeds and many environmental conditions combined with parameters that include license plate number and Department of Transportation information. The system is being assessed at two locations within the Salem District with a combination of controlled and real-world (uncontrolled) conditions.

The study is overseeing the process, installation, and calibration of the APRS, the process for conducting a performance evaluation, the results and evaluation of the advance warnings to facility staff, and recommendations for how these features can be utilized to ensure sufficient proficiency of the system for future installations.

This ongoing project is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Transportation. For more information, please contact Andy Alden.