Tunnel alert

and its partner

have developed a new DAB safety broadcast system for use in road tunnels.

The first tunnel to have the so-called TunnelAlert system installed will be the Rotherhithe Tunnel in the UK, which is expected to go live early in the New Year.

When an incident occurs in a particular tunnel bore, the system is switched in with the effect of replacing the audio on all the DAB audio services being re-broadcast in that tunnel bore with a live emergency message, providing the occupants of the vehicles in the tunnel with appropriate instructions.

Systems have been in existence to deliver this service on FM for some time but RadioScape claims to be the first company to provide systems for DAB.

Prompted by the Mont Blanc disaster a few years ago, an EU mandate came into effect in May 2005 that long tunnels (over 500 metres) must have an emergency broadcast system that will automatically change the in-car entertainment system to the emergency channel.

There are over 2000 tunnels in Europe that require such a system.