SUROD authorizes testing of average speed radars on highways in eight Brazilian states

The Highway Infrastructure Superintendence (SUROD) authorized, for at least six months, tests of radars that record the average speed of vehicles in eight Brazilian states.

The stretches where the tests will be carried out are on the following highways:

Espírito Santo: sections on BR-101/ES.

Goiás: sections on BR-414/GO.

Mato Grosso do Sul: sections on BR-163/MS.

Minas Gerais: sections on BR-050/MG, BR-381/MG, BR-040/MG and BR-116/MG.

Paraná: sections on highways PR-444, PR-862, BR-376/PR, BR-163/PR, BR-277/PR and PR-151.

Rio de Janeiro: sections on BR-101/RJ (including the Rio-Niterói Bridge) and BR-116/RJ.

Rio Grande do Sul: sections on BR-386/RS.

Santa Catarina: sections on BR-101/SC.

According to the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), the 180 days of the test can be extended and the objective is to evaluate the technology for use on concessioned federal highways.

At first, inspection will observe the behavior of drivers on the monitored sections. There will be no fines or registration of traffic violations.

"ANTT emphasizes that the pilot project has an exclusively technical, educational and experimental character. At this stage, the average speed recorded on the stretch cannot, in itself, generate a fine or penalty", says the ministry.

Even in the testing phase, the points must have signage, which "must inform users about the experiment being carried out".

Unlike the fixed radars used in Brazil, which record speed at a specific point, this equipment works in two locations and measures the time it takes the vehicle to travel the distance between them.

“With this information, the average speed on the stretch is calculated,” says ANTT.

Eco Rodovias tests radars on BR-050, on an 11 km stretch in the city of Uberaba (MG), which has a high rate of deaths from traffic accidents.

According to the concessionaire, the number of flagrant incidents fell by 22.5% in the comparison between 15 days before and 15 days after the educational blitz carried out by the Federal Highway Police (PRF).

"We would take this driver, take him to the tent and explain the project and instruct [about traffic safety]. Today, the average speed radar is aimed at road safety campaigns here on 050", says the operations manager of Eco050 and Ecovias do Cerrado, Bruno Araújo Silva.

Before that, they had already issued 852 thousand notifications in six months of testing in São Paulo (SP). Also educational in nature, the warning was not followed by an infraction or fine.

These radars were at four inspection points. One on Avenida Jacu Pêssego, in the East Zone of São Paulo, was the one that made the largest number of notifications. The maximum speed on the 26 km road is 50 km/h, but only 3 km were monitored.

Other radars were on Avenida dos Bandeirantes, Marginal Tietê and Avenida 23 de Maio.