Friday, October 17, 2008 TMC uses high-tech Lidar guns
OVER SPEEDING vehicles using the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) has been one of the causes of fatal accidents in the expressways.
Saying the safety of motorists has been the primary objective of the Tollways Management Corporation (TMC), which operates NLEx and SCTEx, the company has started using Lidar guns that have speed detection and digital photo evidence features.
When the Lidar unit captures the speed violation, a digital picture of the evidence is recorded. The image is displayed showing the vehicle, its speed and its plate number.
TMC said its Speed Management Team was formed specifically to safeguard the journey of motorists using NLEx and SCTEx.
The use of the Lidar guns, the TMC said, helps prevent any unsafe vehicle pursuits of over speeding violators.
As the spotters capture the image and record the speed of the erring motorists' vehicles, they then relay the information to the apprehending team waiting at the NLEx and SCTEx exits that will apprehend the violators and issue them Temporary Operating Permits.
To maintain the Lidar guns' accuracy in capturing the speed data and image of over speeding vehicles, the speed metering guns are calibrated yearly by the National Meteorology Laboratory led by Roger Balita of the Department Of Science and Technology.
The TMC said strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations in the NLEx and SCTEx, particularly enforcing vehicles' speed limit of 60kph minimum speed and 100kph maximum speed, would ensure the safety of motorists.
