Focus SQS
Speeding to quality
It’s no secret that speed is the biggest factor in car accidents. And the Dutch government has been combating the problem as part of a broader safety push for nearly two decades. Upgraded digital cameras, certified by SQS, are helping.
In the Netherlands, drivers wanting to push the limits of their cars have been discovering they can’t outrun technology. For the past five years, the Traffic Enforcement Team of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office has been gradually updating its nationwide network of analogue speeding and trafficlight cameras with the latest generation of digital devices. The project is part of a Sustainable Safety initiative launched by the Dutch government in the 90s and updated in 2005. It’s cut traffic deaths by as much as 30 per cent.
The National Public Prosecutor’s Office is hoping the transition will further increase safety on the country’s roads, particularly on those roads where drivers speed. The new cameras offer more uptime, increased reliability and a decrease in costs. And last year the Traffic Enforcement Team needed a company that could not only verify the cameras had been manufactured properly, but also that could certify their installation and connection with the agency’s computer network. Following a Europe-wide tender SQS was picked.
”A police officer has to drive out to analogue cameras, take out the exposed roll and replace it with fresh film. And when a camera runs out of film, it can no longer do its job,” says Willebrord Freijsen, Director of the Traffic Enforcement Team of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office.
It’s easy to find the advantages for the ministry. Not only do digital cameras eliminate the need for film, they can also transmit pictures to central servers – even wirelessly – making the pictures almost immediately available for processing. Computers can then automatically read the license plate information and prepare a ticket for the mail. By automating the process, drivers receive notices of their infraction more quickly, increasing the warning component and raising their awareness of dangerous driving practices.
Quality cameras
The new generation of speed cameras also uses a special light source which is invisible to the human eye. Where drivers previously knew they’d been nabbed when they saw a flash from one of the roadside boxes, no light is now visible. Now there’s no way of knowing if the new devices are even functioning – though the latest digital technology increases the likelihood that they are.
SQS’ position as the worldwide specialist in software quality as well as its financially compelling offer put it above the other finalist in the Europe-wide tender and secured it the contract to review the delivery and installation of 84 cameras. The company also plans to bid on a subsequent contract for an additional 500 de vices – the Netherlands has about 1,200 total cameras and only about 20 per cent of those have been upgraded to digital so far.
Because of their potential to become key wit nesses in legal battles, speed and traffic-light cameras have to meet high standards. Manufacturers have to certify their accuracy and third-party auditors have to ensure their correct positioning. Slight inaccuracies can lead to the dismissal of reams of tickets, vaporising the public funds spent on putting the cameras in place.
The cameras can actually function as both a speed camera and a traffic-light camera, monitoring several lanes at a time. The modern technology doesn’t need sensors installed in the road and can even detect the difference between motorcycles, cars and trucks, and adjust accordingly. Since the manufacturer often had to disable one of the two functions to fit the location, SQS also had to certify that the alterations had been completed correctly.
The latest contract from the ministry was divided into two parts – one part involved the supply of the cameras and the second the testing and certification. SQS was awarded the testing activities. ”We’re very pleased that both companies involved in the project were able to work well together,” says SQS Nederland Managing Director Wilbert van den Bliek.
The project was unique for SQS since testing connectivity and software were only a small part of the contract. In most contracts, reviewing documentation is only a minor component. Primarily, the company reviewed the paperwork for the manufacture of the cameras as part of acceptance testing. It also performed site testing to ensure the cameras were installed and functioning properly – then it reviewed their connectivity and integration into the government’s own network.
But dealing with government and legal matters can be touchy. So SQS is testing the cameras’ connectivity on a single, isolated server in its offices in the Netherlands that is connected to the government’s own network.
Speeding to completion
The company also offered the ministry a fixed price, eliminating any surprises should the volume of work unexpectedly increase. The Dutch government was also impressed with the level of professionalism and structured approach SQS used – all aspects SQS hopes will play in its favour in subsequent tenders.
During the project, SQS has as many as five employees testing the cameras and their installation. The company has to remain in close contact with the manufacturer to ensure it has manpower available each time Jenoptik delivers a fresh batch of cameras across the border in the Netherlands. SQS’ ability to quickly and flexibly react to Jenoptik’s delivery scheduled not only ensures it will complete the project within budget, but has also won it praise from the ministry. ”They have always been able to perform acceptance testing quickly and flexibly, allowing us to consistently keep the project moving forward,” says prosecutor Freijsen.
Dutch prosecutors are only allowed to implement the cameras as a measure of last resort when other efforts to slow drivers or improve trafficlight behaviour have failed. And there are even strict guidelines about when analogue cameras may be replaced by digital ones – though frequent speeding along a specific stretch of road is one possible reason. The government has even stipulated that whenever digital cameras have been installed, they must be functional around the clock. SQS’ testing services helps the government fulfil this requirement as the Sustainable Safety programme teaches drivers that, no matter how hard they try, technology will always be ahead of them.
