Zavarovalnica Triglav dd : Junction in Stražišče now safer thanks to COPS@road system

According to figures from Kranj police station, there were six road accidents at the junction between 2011 and 2017. Five of these accidents involved physical injury in addition to vehicle damage, with one road user sustaining serious injuries. This section of road is dangerous chiefly because of the junction's lack of visibility and the longer stretches of flat road along all branches, which encourages drivers to speed up on the main road.

The junction has now been equipped with a COPS@road (Collision Preventing Safety System) warning system. The system consists of a modular range of active traffic signals individually adapted to the characteristics of the particular section of road. The system uses sensors to detect the approach of road users from both directions and provides a real-time warning of the risk of collision by means of flashing signals.

How the COPS@road warning system at the junction in Stražišče works

Four units of the COPS@road system, complete with sensors and warning lights, have been installed at the junction of Škofjeloška cesta, which intersects with Pot v puškarno and Seljakovo naselje. When a vehicle approaches the junction along the side road, the yellow lights start to flash to warn the driver that they are approaching the junction. If a vehicle is approaching the junction along the main road at the same time, the unit lights installed on the main and side roads begin to flash, thereby warning the drivers coming from both sides of the risk of a collision. The two units on the main road also warn drivers should they exceed the speed limit.

All the units are connected via wireless and are charged using solar-powered chargers. In addition, all the units of the system transmit statistics on traffic density, vehicle speed and information on the operation of the system to a remote server. A.s.K. emphasises that the COPS@road system is not a substitute for traffic lights, and in no case does it determine right of way for road users: it is exclusively a warning system designed to give drivers real-time warnings of the risk of collision at dangerous intersections.

Working together to improve road safety

Kranj's mayor Boštjan Trilar said: 'Here in the City of Kranj we are making efforts to improve safety on our roads using a number of different methods. We are aware that this particular junction is dangerous, which is also borne out by the road accident statistics of the last few years. We have installed a COPS@road warning system precisely because we wish to improve safety for all road users in this area. I hope that this system will help to improve safety along this section of road.' The City of Kranj contributed EUR 5,917 to equipping the junction with the COPS@road system.

The Zavarovalnica Triglav project Working Together to Improve Road Safety has been running since 2014. In that time Triglav has supported the installation of COPS@road systems at a total of 24 locations around the country where an increased risk of collision has been identified. As part of its mission to create a safer future, it is thus making an active contribution to improving conditions on Slovenia's roads.

'Here at Triglav we are working to bolster road safety with a number of different activities and projects. As we know that COPS@road systems make a positive contribution to reducing road accidents at dangerous road sections, we have so far supported the installation of 24 such systems,' explained Janka Planinc, director of the Triglav's Kranj regional office.She added: 'We have also co-financed this innovative system at the junction in Stražišče, where several road accidents have already occurred, the majority resulting in injury.'

The COPS@road warning system is the fruit of in-house development by the Slovenian company A.s.K. 'The COPS@road warning system installed at the junction in Stražišče provides a real-time warning of the presence of traffic on other roads leading to the junction. We believe that this section will now be safer for all road users. We are happy about this positive collaboration with the City of Kranj and Zavarovalnica Triglav, which is part of our efforts to improve road safety at dangerous sections of road in Slovenia. Only by working together can we succeed in achieving better road safety outcomes on Slovenia's roads,' explained Peter Korun of A.s.K.