Utah is using laser beams to make roads safer

Utah has rolled out some new tech to make the intersections of Salt Lake City safer for drivers.

The state’s Department of Transportation are using LiDar technology to cut down on accidents.

With 168 car accidents occurring each day in the western state in 2021, it’s good to know the government are making an effort to save lives.

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The mission to make the intersections of Utah safer

Five intersections in Salt Lake City have been equipped with LiDar technology which records activity from pedestrians, drivers and cyclists.

A simple camera would take a snapshot of activity on the road, but the LiDar goes one step further.

By mapping movements across the road, it gives researchers a clear eye on patterns.

They can see which areas see the most ‘near misses’ and where pedestrians are most likely to jaywalk.

According to carscoops, the system can even record average speeds at a 99.98 percent accuracy.

The LiDar system works in a similar way to a submarine’s sonar.

The tech sends out laser pulses and measures how long it takes to come back once it hits an object.

Not only does it allow for road improvements to be made in the long run, changes can be made in real-time.

Speaking to Fox13, UDOT spokesperson John Gleason said: “[Imagine] you have somebody crossing the road and they stumble, and they just can’t make it over there in time.

“We don’t have to do anything manually, it will automatically adjust the time to allow them to cross safely.”

Utah’s government isn’t the only ones putting lasers to work for the good of road safety.

China are using a laser system to help prevent drivers from falling asleep behind the wheel.

The problem of driving accidents in the US

It remains to be seen whether or not this tech will be rolled in the other 49 states.

Utah is currently looking to roll out the system in the rest of the state, thanks to a $20 million grant.

Fox13 estimated that the LiDar system would cost between $30,000 and $40,000.

Utah was once the fifth most accident-prone state in the US, but a recent study by Forbes magazine found it the fifth safest for drivers.

It only fell beneath New Jersey, Nebraska, Maine and Rhode Island.

Over on the most dangerous list were states such as Montana, South Carolina, New Mexico, Wyoming and Texas.

There are nearly 43,000 fatal crashes a year in the US – but they account for less than one percent of crashes overall.

With its rocky mountains, Utah poses a challenge to drivers who want to put their vehicles to the test, like this man who drove his Jeep Gladiator up a steep rockface.