Initiative details
Road works are necessary to keep our roads in optimal operating conditions, but their presence generates mobility problems, traffic jams, increased risk of accidents or insecurity. One of the most affected groups is road maintenance workers. According to data from the General Directorate of Traffic, in Spain there were 172 accidents in construction zones in 2022, of which 22 involved personnel working or walking on the road, while the rest affected workers were inside their vehicles. To address this problem, our R&D Department has designed a machine for the automatic placement and collection of cones on the road: Easy – Cone. This system, installed in vehicles of more than 3,500 kg, is capable of automatically placing the cones on the road without the worker stepping on the asphalt, being able to operate the equipment from inside the vehicle. Once the intervention has been completed, the same device collects the marking elements. This avoids the worker's exposure to road traffic, so the accident rate due to run over and/or collision on stretches affected by road work will be minimized.
Initiative date
to
Who was/is your target audience?
Public authorities
Others
Topic
Provide alternative solutions
Organisation details
PROYECTOS INTEGRALES DE BALIZAMIENTO, S.L.
Enterprise
Spain
CABANILLAS DEL CAMPO (GUADALAJARA)
Contact name
PATRICIA CÁMARA EXPÓSITO
Telephone number
+34699566307
patricia.camara@proinbal.es
Website link
Project activities
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
For the design and development of this project, a technical and economic feasibility study has been carried out, as well as a schedule with different execution phases, which final result has been an effective and safe product. Easy - Cone was presented as a solution to the challenge posed by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility within the Public Procurement of Innovation Program for the reduction of accidents in construction zone. The conclusions of this consultation include our proposal as a necessary element to be included in the specifications for the tendering of road maintenance and operation contracts, confirming its effectiveness as a means of reducing accidents and protecting workers on the road. Likewise, field tests have been carried out in leading companies in the sector, such as Eme 30, responsible for the maintenance of the M-30 ring road in Madrid (Spain), reducing the risks inherent to the exposure of workers to road traffic during their work on the road. Finally, Easy Cone was the winner of the 19th ACEX National Award for Conservation Safety for its innovative nature and proven effectiveness in protecting road workers.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
The main challenge that the company overcame was the allocation of human and financial resources to the Project.Sometimes, the same people in charge of innovation carry out other tasks, which leads to time and work overload problems, affecting their creativity. Hiring new experts or technologies related to innovation is expensive, involving an economic effort for companies that can affect their economic viability. A large part of the resources come from the companie's own funds. The projects of Research and Development do not always produce economic returns in the desired period, implying a lag between the investment made and its recovery, provided that the product is accepted by the market. The regulations established by the authorities regardings roads are not very flexible, which is a barrier to innovation in the sector.
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
We are trustees of the Center for Intelligent Infrastructure Innovation (CI3), a non-profit foundation of general interest, whose purpose is to contribute to the promotion and development of Information Technology (IT) applied to infrastructures.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
The initiative's impact is evaluated through field tests carried out in various road maintenance companies in the sector, we have verified the efficiency and effectiveness of the system for reducing road accidents when signalling sections affected by works. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has included our proposal in the tenders for public contracts for the Conservation and Operation of Roads, as a means to ensure the protection of workers in the construction zone. In the same way, Easy Cone was the winner of the XIX ACEX National Award for Safety in Conservation, with our idea appearing in national media such as the newspaper El País. Likewise, the innovative nature of this system was the key to obtain the SME of the Year Award 2023 (Innovation and Digitalisation in the province of Guadalajara) awarded by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain and Banco Santander.
What has been the effect of the activities?
Our initiative minimizes the risk of accidents due to run-over and/or collisions in construction zones, since thevworker does not have to step on the asphalt at any time and is protected inside the vehicle. The placement and collection of the signaling elements is carried out autonomously and automatically. The use of complementary passive road safety systems, such as mobile impact attenuators (TMA), increases the protection of these workers. At the points where Easy Cone has been used, there have been no traffic accidents, reducing material and personal damages, which means an improvement in mobility in stretches affected by construction works. In the same way, companies bidding for public contracts for road maintenance and operation in Spain must incorporate this system as a means of reducing the accident rate on the roads they own.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
Easy Cone has been set up as an effective element for reducing accidents in construction zones. It is a system for the automatic placement and collection of cones, so that workers can proceed to mark the affected sections without having to step on the asphalt. In this way, the risk of accidents due to run-over and/or collisions is exponentially reduced, thus promoting road safety.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Our proposal has been presented as a solution to the Public Procurement Program for Innovation of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. It has managed to be the winner of the XIX ACEX National Award for Safety in Conservation and has allowed us to obtain the SME of the Year Award 2023 (Innovation and Digitalization) from the Chamber of Commerce of Spain and Banco Santander. Numerous media have talked about our idea. Through our social networks and newsletter we convey to the agents the results of our project and the advantages of its application on the roads they own.
Supporting materials
