Taking the heat out of driving through tunnels

A project team including Fiat and Renault has developed a telematics system designed to prevent the type of accidents in major road tunnels that can lead to catastrophic fires.

The EU’s Safe Tunnel research project was initiated after the St Gotthard Tunnel disaster in Switzerland, which killed 11 drivers in 2001.

At the heart of the system is an on-board integrated unit that can be used by all vehicles, particularly HGVs, when they enter a tunnel, linking them to a control centre. The unit uses radar to monitor the relative position of vehicles inside the tunnel, allowing the control centre to recommend speed and safety distances.

The system also includes a thermal imaging gate, which employs infrared sensors to screen vehicles as they enter the tunnel and identify any that are overheated. The process will apply in particular to any HGVs that are carrying dangerous goods such as compressed gases or flammable liquids.