Next time you’re driving, focus on the road whether you’re on a freeway or a local street. It’s possible that you will encounter black cables along the way that have been placed there with consideration.
What good are they, even if it is perfectly safe to drive over them?
To learn more, keep reading!
Using road tubes, local transportation agencies can rapidly and efficiently gather crucial data about the traffic patterns in a particular area.
Typically, they are placed in conspicuous areas to reduce any disruption.
Every time a car tire hits the rubber tubing, a blast of air is sent through it to the on-site meter that collects all the data. After the tubing and counter have been inserted for a predetermined amount of time, data is collected and examined.
In addition to counting cars, the tube determines peak traffic by measuring the intervals between air bursts. When the tubing is used in pairs, even more information can be gathered, including vehicle class, speed, and direction.
Then, an organization can utilize this information whenever it wishes to determine whether to change the signage or the speed limits.
What those black cords were has always baffled me! Reading about how much information they can gather with just a puff of air is interesting.
