A student project to ensure speed limit,curb road accidents

It began in January,when Pratik Kulkarni,Rinkesh Gundiyal and Nischay Meshram were brainstorming for a college project. Their views closely matching,these students of Padmabhooshan Vasantdada Patil Institute of Technology (PVPIT),devised a method to curb speeding.

Kulkarni says from expert opinion and available research data,they felt the main culprit in most road accidents in the city is speed violation. They also noticed another pattern. “In most cases,traffic rules were not violated intentionally but owing to poor visibility of signboards or their non-maintenance. Most signboards have posters stuck on them or are hidden behind trees,” he says.

They came up with the idea of electronic signboards with a transmitter attached that could relay information like speed limit,one-way zone,turns and no-entry zones on a particular stretch to the receiver module attached to dashboard of vehicles,from which drivers could read them directly without looking out for signboards whatever the visibility. “Conventional signboards indicating speed limit or arrow indication (turn restrictions),can be replaced with our electronic signboards consisting of a seven-segment display and a one-way indicator,along with a turn-restriction arrow indicator,” says Kulkarni. The signboard has a radio frequency (RF) transmitter.

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The receiver can also monitor whether speed limit has been breached or not and if it has,an indication-cum-warning will be given to the driver through LED display. If the driver ignores it,the registration number stored in the module will be transmitted to the RTO for action to be taken.

“For tracking vehicles,we will collect vehicle registration numbers. The time of violation will be saved in another module consisting of 51 core controller,real-time-clock (RTC),external EEPROM (for storing data) and an RF trans-receiver. Even if someone changes the number plate,the correct registration number will be transmitted as it is stored in the module. This will prevent violators from escaping action.

Meshram says,“This can be helpful in hit-and-run and chain-snatching cases as people involved in such crimes obviously don’t follow speed limit.”

The project took them three months and they completed it in March,with guidance form Manish Gupta,Vineet Athavale and Abhijeet Kulkarni of Riya Technology. The students plan to present it to RTO. “It is our attempt to make people follow traffic rules and prevent accidents,” added Gundiyal.

Prof N N Thune,faculty member,PVPIT,said,“I have seen their project. It is not innovative and beneficial and can be implemented in real life. It will help reduce accidents. An ordinary citizen does not realise it when he is crossing the speed limit but if the equipment on his vehicle can indicate it,he can reduce speed immediately.”