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The addition of traffic monitoring and enforcement specialist VDS to the IRD, Inc. group of companies brings complementary capabilities to an already world-leading range of road safety products and services. It also further strengthens the decades-long relationship with another group company, fiber-optic detection and measurement specialist, Sensor Line.

A history of innovation

For more than four decades, IRD has provided solutions that help to maximize road safety and compliance with legal requirements. Principally, this has been in the commercial vehicle operations sector — IRD was instrumental in the conceptualization and development of weigh in motion, which enables vehicle and axle weights to be accurately measured in live lanes without interrupting traffic flows. This was followed by innovative in-ground sensor solutions which monitor tire safety, detecting anomalies and absences.

Adding speed and red light enforcement to IRD’s portfolio

VDS adds fixed and mobile solutions for speed and red light enforcement, and provides radar-based speed information signs and bicycle counting systems.

Together with Sensor Line, VDS has developed speed-monitoring and enforcement solutions that use in-ground fiber-optic sensor technology. These provide benchmark levels of measurement accuracy, and around 200 such systems are now in operation across several regions in Germany.

Radar solutions with certified accuracy

VDS also offers a range of high-accuracy enforcement systems which feature non-intrusive — radar-based — sensors. These find applications where customers specify a wholly above-ground solution, and VDS’s devices are currently the only radar-based products certified by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany’s national metrology institute, for direct enforcement of traffic violations.

VDS’s M5 Rad3 (Mobile) Traffic Radar Device

VDS’s portfolio includes the M5 Rad3 traffic radar device, which provides speed measurement in all weather. Available in both fixed and mobile versions, this operates without the need for in-pavement sensors and features a low-mounted camera, which improves driver identification in applications where this is required.

Modular and combined enforcement devices

M5 Red uses two in-pavement inductive loops to measure red-light infringements across two lanes.

The M5 Speed traffic measurement device is modular. It can be used as a mobile radar, a stationary speed enforcement system, a red light violation enforcement system, or as a combined system. A series of housing options minimize visual impact, especially in urban areas.

VDS’s M5 Speed

VDS’s traffic measurement devices can be used for survey/data collection purposes and feature Bluetooth connectivity to enable easy interaction with PCs, smartphones, or tablets.

Service and maintenance in the EU

To date, Germany has been VDS’s principal market. A substantial proportion of the company’s business has been recurrent, in the form of maintenance and annual calibration of systems sold. Image capture and violation processing are also a part of the offer.

Through-life support will remain important, in terms of ensuring systems’ effectiveness as well as VDS’s visibility within its client base and market, but visibility will be significantly enhanced by becoming part of the IRD stable. Technical excellence will be combined with greater sales and marketing input from across the wider group, and it is hoped that PTB certification of VDS’s enforcement solutions will prove useful by providing a gold standard and assurance of effectiveness in international markets.

VDS brings important additions to IRD's product lineup

This acquisition further increases the number of well-engineered products available for integration into IRD’s suite of solutions, or for distribution globally through our channel partners.

Expanding our enforcement portfolio with the ability to address speeding and red-light violations happens at an important time. These products are highly sought-after as governments at all levels seek to enhance transportation safety and identify new revenue opportunities. VDS also broadens our customer base to some of the largest cities and municipalities in Germany, and the company’s team will also support IRD’s projects in the region.