Initiative details
The main road safety challenge addressed in this initiative was ensuring the safety of both pedestrians and drivers along the main street of Põlva, Estonia. This road segment experiences a high daily traffic volume—around 5,000 vehicles, including heavy trucks—while also serving as a key pedestrian route for people commuting to work, school, or public services.
From a safety perspective, the road presents multiple risks: its hilly and winding layout can distract drivers and encourage speeding, and the growing use of light mobility vehicles such as bicycles and scooters increases the complexity of traffic interactions. These conditions create a hazardous environment for vulnerable road users.
The Bercman Smart Road represents a forward-looking approach to urban street design—one where all road users are given equal priority, and the focus shifts away from cars alone. The system is designed to encourage drivers to reflect on their behaviour and increase their awareness of pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, it recognises that vulnerable road users are not always easily visible and provides intelligent support systems to help drivers notice and respond to them more effectively.
From a safety perspective, the road presents multiple risks: its hilly and winding layout can distract drivers and encourage speeding, and the growing use of light mobility vehicles such as bicycles and scooters increases the complexity of traffic interactions. These conditions create a hazardous environment for vulnerable road users.
The Bercman Smart Road represents a forward-looking approach to urban street design—one where all road users are given equal priority, and the focus shifts away from cars alone. The system is designed to encourage drivers to reflect on their behaviour and increase their awareness of pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, it recognises that vulnerable road users are not always easily visible and provides intelligent support systems to help drivers notice and respond to them more effectively.
Initiative date
to
Who was/is your target audience?
Policy makers
Public authorities
Children 0-16
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Parents
Seniors
Company employees
Fleet operators
Car drivers
Car drivers – professional
Emergency services
Public transport
Van drivers
Lorry/truck drivers
Cyclists
Micromobility riders
Powered two wheeler riders (excluding micromobility)
Pedestrians
Topic
Create awareness
Improve vehicles and infrastructure
Knowledge building and sharing
Provide alternative solutions
Organisation details
Bercman Technologies
Enterprise
Estonia
Tartu
Contact name
Mart Suurkask
Telephone number
+37253402902
info@bercman.com
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
Bercman Technologies carried out the project in close cooperation with its subsidiary, Krakul. Two companies partnered to design, develop, and implement the innovative integrated solution combining smart pedestrian crosswalks with an average speed measurement system.
The collaboration covered the full scope of the project: software development, hardware design and assembly, on-site installation, post-installation configuration and testing, and ongoing system maintenance.
Bercman Technologies, listed on Nasdaq First North, is a technology company focused on the development of proprietary smart infrastructure products and the delivery of integrated technology systems.
Krakul is Estonia’s leading hardware and software development company, providing end-to-end product development services—from concept and prototyping to full-scale production.
The collaboration covered the full scope of the project: software development, hardware design and assembly, on-site installation, post-installation configuration and testing, and ongoing system maintenance.
Bercman Technologies, listed on Nasdaq First North, is a technology company focused on the development of proprietary smart infrastructure products and the delivery of integrated technology systems.
Krakul is Estonia’s leading hardware and software development company, providing end-to-end product development services—from concept and prototyping to full-scale production.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
The Smart Road project in Põlva began in June 2021 and was completed in December 2023. Throughout this period, key activities included the development and coordination of the initial concept design, alignment of legal and technical requirements with relevant authorities and partners, and the construction, calibration, and deployment of the Smart Road infrastructure.
The implemented Smart Road covers approximately 2.7 km along Kesk and Jaama streets and includes 14 smart pedestrian crosswalks. Each crosswalk is equipped with radar and camera systems for pedestrian and vehicle detection. Five of these crossings also feature number plate recognition cameras to enable average speed measurement along the road segment. Variable message signs installed at the start and end of the section provide real-time driver feedback based on vehicle speed.
The system uses LED lights to alert drivers when a pedestrian is approaching or crossing. Its algorithms collect anonymised data on traffic flow, including the number and direction of pedestrians and the count, type, and average speed of vehicles. An air quality monitoring station is also integrated.
In addition to improving road safety, the project aimed to promote long-term positive changes in driver behaviour, enhance protection for vulnerable road users, and support data-driven urban mobility planning through the collection of anonymised traffic and environmental data. It also contributes to environmental goals by encouraging calmer traffic flow, which reduces emissions and noise. By showcasing a replicable and cost-effective solution, the project seeks to inspire other municipalities to adopt similar technologies, ultimately contributing to safer, smarter, and more liveable urban environments.
The implemented Smart Road covers approximately 2.7 km along Kesk and Jaama streets and includes 14 smart pedestrian crosswalks. Each crosswalk is equipped with radar and camera systems for pedestrian and vehicle detection. Five of these crossings also feature number plate recognition cameras to enable average speed measurement along the road segment. Variable message signs installed at the start and end of the section provide real-time driver feedback based on vehicle speed.
The system uses LED lights to alert drivers when a pedestrian is approaching or crossing. Its algorithms collect anonymised data on traffic flow, including the number and direction of pedestrians and the count, type, and average speed of vehicles. An air quality monitoring station is also integrated.
In addition to improving road safety, the project aimed to promote long-term positive changes in driver behaviour, enhance protection for vulnerable road users, and support data-driven urban mobility planning through the collection of anonymised traffic and environmental data. It also contributes to environmental goals by encouraging calmer traffic flow, which reduces emissions and noise. By showcasing a replicable and cost-effective solution, the project seeks to inspire other municipalities to adopt similar technologies, ultimately contributing to safer, smarter, and more liveable urban environments.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
The implementation of the Smart Road project came with some challenges. The procurement process, for instance, faced setbacks: the first procedure was cancelled due to a compliance issue discovered during control, and the second tender’s results were contested by participants. Another significant challenge was public scepticism and a lack of understanding regarding the project’s purpose. Initially, some community members viewed the system as a surveillance or enforcement tool. This concern was addressed through ongoing public communication, emphasising that the Smart Road is a traffic safety solution focused on improving the living environment and protecting vulnerable road users, not on monitoring or penalising individuals. The visible impact of the system in the first weeks, particularly improved pedestrian safety, helped shift public perception.
Despite these hurdles, several aspects of implementation went smoothly. The project was delivered within a relatively short timeframe, and all technical work was successfully completed by the deadline. Positive local feedback has reinforced the value of the solution. Residents have noted that during Estonia’s long, dark winters, the enhanced visibility provided by smart crosswalks—especially the flashing LED lights—significantly improves safety for pedestrians, particularly children, enabling earlier detection by drivers and safer crossings.
Despite these hurdles, several aspects of implementation went smoothly. The project was delivered within a relatively short timeframe, and all technical work was successfully completed by the deadline. Positive local feedback has reinforced the value of the solution. Residents have noted that during Estonia’s long, dark winters, the enhanced visibility provided by smart crosswalks—especially the flashing LED lights—significantly improves safety for pedestrians, particularly children, enabling earlier detection by drivers and safer crossings.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
The impact of the Põlva Smart Road initiative has been evaluated through real-time traffic data, public engagement metrics, and stakeholder interest. Upon launch in December 2023, nearly 2% of vehicles were recorded driving at speeds exceeding 65 km/h. By the second week of January 2024, that figure had dropped to just 0.1%—a level that has since remained stable. In addition, the overall average vehicle speed on the Smart Road decreased from 52 km/h to 45 km/h, demonstrating a clear and lasting change in driver behaviour.
The system continuously collects and displays anonymous traffic and environmental data through a public website: https://nutitee.ee. This platform shows real-time statistics such as safe pedestrian crossings, vehicle counts by direction, average speed, percentage of speeding vehicles, share of vehicles exceeding 65 km/h, and the weekly top speed. These visualised metrics support data-driven decision-making for the municipality and enhance public transparency.
Drivers also receive immediate speed feedback via dynamic message signs at both ends of the Smart Road, encouraging instant self-correction.
The project has generated interest nationally and internationally. In 2024, the Estonian Transport Administration visited the site to explore broader adoption. Globally, the initiative gained visibility through Invest in Estonia’s feature, which reached over one million people via social media.
The system continuously collects and displays anonymous traffic and environmental data through a public website: https://nutitee.ee. This platform shows real-time statistics such as safe pedestrian crossings, vehicle counts by direction, average speed, percentage of speeding vehicles, share of vehicles exceeding 65 km/h, and the weekly top speed. These visualised metrics support data-driven decision-making for the municipality and enhance public transparency.
Drivers also receive immediate speed feedback via dynamic message signs at both ends of the Smart Road, encouraging instant self-correction.
The project has generated interest nationally and internationally. In 2024, the Estonian Transport Administration visited the site to explore broader adoption. Globally, the initiative gained visibility through Invest in Estonia’s feature, which reached over one million people via social media.
What has been the effect of the activities?
The Smart Pedestrian Crosswalk system—an essential component of the Smart Road solution—was developed by Bercman Technologies with inspiration from the Vision Zero strategy. In 2021, a study conducted by Tallinn University of Technology and the engineering firm Stratum evaluated its impact. The results showed a 40% reduction in potential conflicts at unregulated pedestrian crossings, largely due to the early visual warnings provided by the system, which give drivers more time to slow down.
Integrating these crosswalks into the broader Smart Road solution, alongside the urban average speed measurement system, has significantly improved traffic safety in the town centre of Põlva. Every resident and visitor benefits from calmer, safer traffic conditions. Since the launch in January 2024, over 2.26 million safe street crossings have been recorded. In 2024, approximately 110,000 unique vehicles were detected driving on the Smart Road. The average vehicle speed has decreased from 52 km/h to 45 km/h, while speeding over 54 km/h has dropped to 3.5% and speeding over 65 km/h to just 0–0.1% of the share of all drivers.
The system also provides valuable insights to local police, who can view speeding patterns by location and focus their efforts where they are most needed. This data-driven approach has already shown promising results: traffic insurance cases on the Smart Road dropped from 7 in 2023 to 4 in 2024, indicating a likely reduction in minor traffic incidents. While the observation period remains short, these early indicators support the conclusion that the Smart Road is contributing to safer streets.
Beyond its local impact, the project has gained national and international attention. For instance, it was featured in the article “The Town of Põlva will get Estonia’s smartest road” by Invest in Estonia, which reached over 1 million people via social media. This visibility underscores the project’s relevance beyond Põlva, positioning it as a scalable model for other towns and cities.
Ultimately, the Smart Road enables more than just traffic safety—it lays the groundwork for data-informed urban planning and helps create a safer, more liveable environment for all, from children to the elderly. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to combine behavioural feedback, smart infrastructure, and real-time data into one integrated, efficient system that complements broader road safety and sustainability goals.
Integrating these crosswalks into the broader Smart Road solution, alongside the urban average speed measurement system, has significantly improved traffic safety in the town centre of Põlva. Every resident and visitor benefits from calmer, safer traffic conditions. Since the launch in January 2024, over 2.26 million safe street crossings have been recorded. In 2024, approximately 110,000 unique vehicles were detected driving on the Smart Road. The average vehicle speed has decreased from 52 km/h to 45 km/h, while speeding over 54 km/h has dropped to 3.5% and speeding over 65 km/h to just 0–0.1% of the share of all drivers.
The system also provides valuable insights to local police, who can view speeding patterns by location and focus their efforts where they are most needed. This data-driven approach has already shown promising results: traffic insurance cases on the Smart Road dropped from 7 in 2023 to 4 in 2024, indicating a likely reduction in minor traffic incidents. While the observation period remains short, these early indicators support the conclusion that the Smart Road is contributing to safer streets.
Beyond its local impact, the project has gained national and international attention. For instance, it was featured in the article “The Town of Põlva will get Estonia’s smartest road” by Invest in Estonia, which reached over 1 million people via social media. This visibility underscores the project’s relevance beyond Põlva, positioning it as a scalable model for other towns and cities.
Ultimately, the Smart Road enables more than just traffic safety—it lays the groundwork for data-informed urban planning and helps create a safer, more liveable environment for all, from children to the elderly. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to combine behavioural feedback, smart infrastructure, and real-time data into one integrated, efficient system that complements broader road safety and sustainability goals.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
The primary goal of the Smart Road initiative is to create a safer traffic environment for all road users—from children to the elderly—by promoting attentiveness and responsible behaviour rather than relying on penalties. A key feature of the system is its ability to measure and provide real-time feedback on average vehicle speeds, which has proven globally to be a highly effective tool for traffic calming and collision reduction.
By combining average speed monitoring with smart pedestrian crosswalks, the Smart Road presents a cost-effective and innovative solution to urban road safety. This integrated approach not only improves driver behaviour but also increases pedestrian visibility and protection. In the future, the system can be further enhanced with V2X (vehicle-to-everything) technologies to improve vehicle-infrastructure communication.
The system collects anonymised traffic and environmental data, including pedestrian and vehicle counts and air quality indicators, which supports data-driven decision-making for urban planning and development. Rather than penalising drivers, the initiative fosters long-term behavioural change by encouraging constant awareness. Over time, these changes extend beyond the Smart Road itself, influencing driving habits across the wider area and establishing a social norm of safer, calmer traffic.
The Põlva Smart Road is a replicable good practice that municipalities and organisations can adopt to enhance road safety. It is scalable, easy to implement, and delivers measurable benefits—not only by preventing injuries and saving lives, but also by reducing accident-related costs, fuel consumption, emissions, and noise pollution. Ultimately, such traffic-calming measures improve quality of life, attract residents and businesses, and contribute to building safer, more sustainable communities.
By combining average speed monitoring with smart pedestrian crosswalks, the Smart Road presents a cost-effective and innovative solution to urban road safety. This integrated approach not only improves driver behaviour but also increases pedestrian visibility and protection. In the future, the system can be further enhanced with V2X (vehicle-to-everything) technologies to improve vehicle-infrastructure communication.
The system collects anonymised traffic and environmental data, including pedestrian and vehicle counts and air quality indicators, which supports data-driven decision-making for urban planning and development. Rather than penalising drivers, the initiative fosters long-term behavioural change by encouraging constant awareness. Over time, these changes extend beyond the Smart Road itself, influencing driving habits across the wider area and establishing a social norm of safer, calmer traffic.
The Põlva Smart Road is a replicable good practice that municipalities and organisations can adopt to enhance road safety. It is scalable, easy to implement, and delivers measurable benefits—not only by preventing injuries and saving lives, but also by reducing accident-related costs, fuel consumption, emissions, and noise pollution. Ultimately, such traffic-calming measures improve quality of life, attract residents and businesses, and contribute to building safer, more sustainable communities.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Information about the Smart Road project was widely shared following its launch through multiple communication channels. These included Bercman Technologies’ and Põlva Municipality’s websites, as well as social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). The project received extensive coverage in Estonian news outlets and their associated channels, including ERR, Lõuna-Eesti Postimees, Lõunaleht, Lõunaeestlane, Autogeenius, and Tehnikamaailm. The Smart Road was also featured on national television news and radio broadcasts.
Internationally, the project gained visibility through an article on Invest in Estonia, and it was covered by Baltic News, a regional news portal with cross-border reach. Additionally, as Bercman Technologies is a publicly listed company on Nasdaq First North, the Smart Road announcement was published via Nasdaq’s news distribution service in both Estonian and English, further increasing its reach.
The initiative has been actively presented at seminars, traffic safety round tables, and information events, where its goals, technical aspects, and early results have been shared with experts, stakeholders, and municipal leaders.
Here are some examples of the media coverage of the initiative and its results:
• https://lounapostimees.postimees.ee/7825617/polvasse-tuleb-esimene-linnasisenekeskmise-kiiruse-mootmise-loik
• https://lounaeestlane.ee/bercman-ja-polva-vallavalitsus-allkirjastasid-lepingunutitee-rajamiseks/
• http://www.lounaleht.ee/index.php?page=1&id=36073&type=2
• https://auto.geenius.ee/rubriik/uudis/polva-nutitee-avastas-juba-esimesel-paeval-80-
• km-h-labi-linna-kihutanud-auto/
• https://eestielu.goodnews.ee/polva-vallavalitsus-rajas-nutitee/
• https://view.news.eu.nasdaq.com/view?id=b08e4b745e1512d5f586d74a6b3576e5a&lang=en
• https://lounapostimees.postimees.ee/7935741/videolugu-vilkuvate-tuledega-nutiteesurus-polva-liikluse-aeglasemale-kaigule
• https://balticnews.com/bercman-technologies-delivers-completed-smart-road-to-polva-municipal-govt/
• https://news.err.ee/1609211683/polva-s-finished-smart-road-project-handed-over-to-local-government
• https://investinestonia.com/the-town-of-polva-will-get-estonias-smartest-road/
• https://digiajakiri.transpordiamet.ee/view/434325528/68/
• https://maaleht.delfi.ee/artikkel/120329323/170-000-eurot-maksnud-nutitee-tuvastas-polvas-125-000-kiirusuletamist
• https://www.tv3.ee/tv3telekanal/tv3-uudised/polva-linnas-asub-nutitee-mis-moodab-ise-soidukite-kiirust/
This widespread media presence and event participation have made the Põlva Smart Road well known both locally and across Estonia, while also generating interest internationally.
Internationally, the project gained visibility through an article on Invest in Estonia, and it was covered by Baltic News, a regional news portal with cross-border reach. Additionally, as Bercman Technologies is a publicly listed company on Nasdaq First North, the Smart Road announcement was published via Nasdaq’s news distribution service in both Estonian and English, further increasing its reach.
The initiative has been actively presented at seminars, traffic safety round tables, and information events, where its goals, technical aspects, and early results have been shared with experts, stakeholders, and municipal leaders.
Here are some examples of the media coverage of the initiative and its results:
• https://lounapostimees.postimees.ee/7825617/polvasse-tuleb-esimene-linnasisenekeskmise-kiiruse-mootmise-loik
• https://lounaeestlane.ee/bercman-ja-polva-vallavalitsus-allkirjastasid-lepingunutitee-rajamiseks/
• http://www.lounaleht.ee/index.php?page=1&id=36073&type=2
• https://auto.geenius.ee/rubriik/uudis/polva-nutitee-avastas-juba-esimesel-paeval-80-
• km-h-labi-linna-kihutanud-auto/
• https://eestielu.goodnews.ee/polva-vallavalitsus-rajas-nutitee/
• https://view.news.eu.nasdaq.com/view?id=b08e4b745e1512d5f586d74a6b3576e5a&lang=en
• https://lounapostimees.postimees.ee/7935741/videolugu-vilkuvate-tuledega-nutiteesurus-polva-liikluse-aeglasemale-kaigule
• https://balticnews.com/bercman-technologies-delivers-completed-smart-road-to-polva-municipal-govt/
• https://news.err.ee/1609211683/polva-s-finished-smart-road-project-handed-over-to-local-government
• https://investinestonia.com/the-town-of-polva-will-get-estonias-smartest-road/
• https://digiajakiri.transpordiamet.ee/view/434325528/68/
• https://maaleht.delfi.ee/artikkel/120329323/170-000-eurot-maksnud-nutitee-tuvastas-polvas-125-000-kiirusuletamist
• https://www.tv3.ee/tv3telekanal/tv3-uudised/polva-linnas-asub-nutitee-mis-moodab-ise-soidukite-kiirust/
This widespread media presence and event participation have made the Põlva Smart Road well known both locally and across Estonia, while also generating interest internationally.
Supporting materials
