Traffic metrology

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For official speed controls, the police have for years been using state-of-the-art and proven speed-measuring equip-ment, whose function is based on a range of different metrological principles. Even when the measuring apparatus and procedures have been very well designed and tested, there remains the question of the reliability of the speeds measured and the certainty of their attribution to specific vehicles. An erroneous speed measurement could lead to a driver being unjustly awarded a fine or even have his driving licence suspended.

The task of the METAS Traffic laboratory for speed and monitoring equipment for road traffic is to ensure the accuracy and reliability, for its entire serviceable life, of all equipment issued to the authorities for official use. This is the only way to ensure that measurements can be trusted and will be accepted by the public. Accordingly, speed measurement equipment for traffic monitoring must satisfy extremely high functional requirements. Before new measurement equipment may be used for official measurements, it must undergo strict, systematic testing. This is to determine whether the device type complies with Swiss legal requirements and is suitable for the intended application. 

Services

Our services cover all measurement equipment connected with speed, distances, gaps between vehicles, licence plate recognition, etc. in the road traffic area.

Type examination, CH-Approval and Verification

We carry out type testing in accordance with OIML recom-mendations, Swiss approvals and calibrations.

Special testing

In order to be able to test measurement instruments in the laboratory under conditions that replicate actual use as closely as possible, we have developed complex traffic simulation techniques for the most diverse measurement technologies. They enable us to conduct special testing to meet individual customer needs, thanks to reproducible conditions throughout the entire speed range. This would be extremely costly and time-consuming, if at all possible, under actual traffic conditions.

Calibrations

We calibrate GNSS measurement instruments (GPS, GLONAS, and GALILEO) in respect of all measurands (speed, distances, etc.) on the road or with RF simulation procedures in the laboratory.

In addition, we provide services in the area of speed meas-urement based on the most diverse technologies.

Expert opinions for public authorities and consultancy

We provide expert opinions on official measurements on behalf of legal authorities.

If you have any questions concerning our services or consul-tancy, we will be pleased to help. Contact us without obligation.

Research and development

A road traffic measurement cannot be repeated. It must be accurate and dependable the first time. In order for us to ensure that measurement equipment and measurement procedures are accurate and dependable, we develop automated special simulated test procedures. They enable us to test the characteristics of the various measurement technologies and the behaviour under critical traffic constellations in the laboratory. Simulations also offer a way to test different types under reproducible, identical conditions, something that is not possible in real road traffic situations.

As a research partner of Innosuisse (Swiss Innovation Agency) we cooperate in Innosuisse projects. We are interested in collaboration with industry. Our strengths lie in traffic measurement technology, as well as in our many years of experience in the calibration of GNSS receivers of all technology types.

Projects

  • Laser Scanner Simulation: (KTI-Projekt)
    The world’s first simulation system for the valida-tion of laser scanner traffic monitoring systems
  • Licence Plate Reader
    Simulation processes to test the detection and er-ror rate of Licence plate Reader

Publications

Last modification 22.03.2023

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Contact

Federal Institute of Metrology
Laboratory Traffic
Lindenweg 50
CH-3003 Bern-Wabern
T +41 58 387 01 11
verkehr@metas.ch

Print contact

https://www.metas.ch/content/metas/en/home/fabe/verkehr.html