LED traffic signals

September 2004 Operator Interfaces, Switches & Relays

The Ledguard traffic signals interface directly into the existing local signal heads with either 230 or 10 V a.c. connection. Fitting is as simple as connecting two wires to the existing connector.

With a seemingly increasing number of failed traffic signals the public is probably unaware that major municipalities routinely replace the incandescent bulbs every three months, in addition to attention to unpredicted failures. The operating life of an LED on the other hand is in excess of 10 years and Sperosens has designed its 85-element cluster with electronic redundancy so that a major failure (loss of one of three sectors) will see a reduction of only 30% in intensity, with the blacked-out LED's being distributed randomly over the ball. The more likely (and still rare) failure of a single LED sees only a one percent drop in intensity and would be invisible to the casual observer.

Another major advantage of the LED-based system is the provision of an automatic low ambient dimming control (reducing glare at night) and the elimination of the sun phantom effect through use of clear lenses, colour being determined only by the LED's themselves. The Ledguard range includes the various varieties of robot indicators, including red and green arrows, pedestrian signals and the well-known flashing amber.

For municipalities that convert to this new technology (a few installations are already in operation in various cities/towns in South Africa) the investment will be recovered in just three years while the low power consumption (a mere 8 W per lamp) and virtually zero maintenance offer major long-term positive returns. Motorists benefit from elimination of the problem of total signal lamp failure while the dimmed operation of the traffic lights at night should reduce traffic fatigue.

The Ledguard traffic signals also have applications for mines at either their weighing bridges or rescue bays. A few municipalities, like the Mandela Metro in Port Elizabeth, converted a few of their existing lamps to the Ledguard. They also invested in the pedestrian red lights with remarkable positive changes in road safety, reduction of power consumption and maintenance. The Ledguard has been installed at various municipalities with remarkable success for example Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Spero believes that it has a winner in this new product range as a result of its timeous investment in the development of the technology.

For more information contact Sperosens, 012 665 0317, [email protected], www.spero.co.za

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