Unauthorised vehicles entering a vehicle incursion zone are extremely dangerous to road workers and other road users. Smart Taper monitors temporary traffic management enabling an instant and informed response to taper strikes. it reports strikes immediately allowing for the speedy removal of the hazard.

CIHT/Ringway Innovation Award
This award is for innovative problem solving within highways and transportation that encourages imaginative concepts and excellence.

SMART TAPER
Kier Highways Ltd & Highway Resource Solutions Ltd (HRS)

Kier and HRS collaborated on a pilot to develop an innovative digital service – Smart Taper – with the potential to revolutionise how industry manages traffic management (TM).
Taper Strikes pose a serious risk to road users and road workers, with current industry practice to inspect the integrity of TM on a routine basis (normally every two hours), meaning that unsafe tapers can be left exposed for unacceptable lengths of time.
Smart Taper monitors the integrity of cone tapers and immediately reports strikes directly to TM crews.
For the first time, this technology can also interface with Highways England’s Schedule of Roadworks (SRW/NOMS) system. In addition, TM controllers and designers can view deployments on live mapping interfaces and use automated reports about on/off times and working windows, which provides intelligence-led decisions and delivers more efficient schemes of work. Smart Taper has been deployed more than 2,000 times in Area 9 and is fully embraced by the Area 9 TM team. Due to the success of the pilot, it is being rolled out across Kier contracts.
Smart Taper is under development to allow autonomous vehicles to navigate road works safely, based upon the exact locations of cone barriers and the first/last roadworks signs.

‘The Judges were impressed by the entry’s well thought through, proven practical applications – enhancing safety for road users and road workers, especially through early alert systems. it addresses the riskiest elements of working on the highway, by reducing the risk of human error throughout the traffic management cycle – deployment, operations and removal. it also potentially automates notifications, enabling rapid response to changing situations. There is clear potential for much wider application across highway related works. it also provides auditable assurance to clients, CDM holders and management. ” – Judges Comments