Jacksonville getting crash-avoidance technology

Halo systems coming to 5 intersections

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville is getting closer to receiving new technology that could save lives at some of the city's most dangerous intersections.

Sheriff John Rutherford said the Halo system prevents crashes before they happen. The same company that operates the city's red-light cameras is installing them.

If a driver were to run a red light, the technology would stop the light from changing green for the traffic that's about to go. And once the red-light runner goes through, everything would be back to normal.

According to the National Safety Council, nearly one-third of all deadly crashes at intersections happen because someone runs a red light. That's why the city is trying to make its dangerous intersections safer. It has installed red light cameras at 26 junctions across Jacksonville.

The sheriff is trying to take safety one step further with the Halo system.

Rutherford said Redflex, the company that operates the red-light cameras, is putting the new crash-avoidance technology at five intersections for now.

It works with the cameras to detect if someone is likely to run a red light. If a driver does, not only will a citation be issued, but the computer will delay the green light for traffic going the other way so that the other cars don't go into the intersection and get T-boned by the red-light runner.

"Right now there is lots of legislation, lots of discussion about funds, lots of talk about putting these Halos at different intersections around town where there are high-accident volumes," said Shana Harvey, of the Northeast Florida Safety Council.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Transportation and other agencies are discussing the best ways to incorporate the technology. Those with the safety council are cautiously optimistic.

"These devices are in place to help protect you in case there is somebody that gets forced into an intersection," Harvey said. "And that is great, but at the end of the day you need to (have your hands at) 10 and two and paying attention to what's going on on the road."

There's no exact timeline yet, but JSO said the systems will soon be at Atlantic Boulevard and Monument Road, Atlantic and Southside boulevards and University and Beach boulevards.

"Twenty percent of the intersections that we have red-light enforcement at, Halo comes along with that for free," Rutherford said.

Some city leaders say this contract between Jacksonville and Redflex entitles the city to the technology at all its red light intersections, but that's up for debate. The sheriff said he's open to putting in more systems in if they work.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Transportation is planning on testing the same technology at two separate intersections. 

The computers will be temporarily installed at 103rd Street and Blanding Boulevard as well as Ocean Street and Union Street, FDOT spokesman Ron Tittle said. He said Redflex will be paying for the study, which FDOT will be conducting with the University of Florida.

If the technology reduces crashes, Tittle said the FDOT will consider adding the Halo system across the state.