OSU Public Safety Department acquires new device for traffic safety
Shanon Anderson, chief of OSU department of public safety, in front of the new speed measuring sign outside of the public safety office Tuesday afternoon. The sign will be deployed on OSU campus to calm traffic and collect general traffic data.
September 19, 2022
The Oregon State University Public Safety Department in Corvallis has acquired a new portable radar message sign called the SpeedALERT 24 for fall term.
There are advanced plans in effect for public safety, specifically regarding traffic control. The department introduces a new trailer technology to regulate and record data for speeds in curated areas of campus. Shanon Anderson, chief and associate vice president of Public Safety at OSU said her hope is that this new trailer will protect students and educate them on road safety.
According to the All Traffic Solutions website, the company from which the trailer originated, the SpeedALERT 24 signs “give drivers immediate feedback by displaying messages specific to their speed…or display dedicated messages…depending on your needs at the time.”
Jim Yon, lieutenant with the OSU Public Safety Department said that the messages and alerts can be changed at the location of the department itself with wifi connection. SpeedALERT 24 is easy to move around and the radar works automatically.
The trailer is considered a traffic calmer; there are different methods of traffic calmers such as speed bumps, traffic circles and strategic parking of police vehicles in places where collisions occur often.
“Some drivers will slow down when they see the speed or the message,” Anderson said.
According to Anderson, the trailer has flashing lights that alert drivers of their speed, and the speed can be changed as needed.
“We do not want people to feel like they are being spied on,” Anderson said. “[It is] important to me that the community knows that this is about safety.”
Anderson explained the fatality of fast driving and that as the population of students at OSU rises, the rate of road collisions and traffic increases. As far as where the SpeedALERT 24 will be located, according to Anderson the trailer will be placed in many different locations on campus, mainly in areas where collisions are perpetual.
“We’re just trying to do our best to deploy our resources appropriately and where they’re needed, instead of just guessing,” Anderson said.
The trailer will not be used to enforce road laws at least to begin the process, Anderson said. Instead, it will be used for applications such as traffic control, construction, collecting data, and even to write letters to students for educational purposes.
