Could trams be fitted with optical transponder detection systems?

In USA, many traffic lights can be manipulated by emergency vehicles
using optical detectors at the lights which are activated by an
optical transmitter on the vehicles. Using optical system makes them
uniquely directional for the direction of the approach.

So the rear of each tram could have an an optical transmitter and the
front a receiver. That way a tram would not react to a tram
approaching on an adjacent track.

Brian

----- Original Message -----
From:TramsDownUnder@...
To:
Cc:
Sent:Sat, 22 Jul 2017 15:17:07 +1000
Subject:RE: [TramsDownUnder] Car ahead on the 86 ?

I assume that most Melbourne ‘car ahead’ collisions would happen
on busy city streets or straight sections such as St Kilda Rd during 
peak periods when trams follow each other closely and . Do statistics
support this opinion ?  If so, that is the time for the drivers to be
very alert and use technical  assistance in safely managing closing
 speed. A car ahead collision can result in injury to standing
passengers as well as costly damage to the trams, and also delays in
services.

Noel Reed.  

FROM:TramsDownUnder@...
[mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
SENT: Saturday, 22 July 2017 10:25 AM
TO:TramsDownUnder@...
SUBJECT: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Car ahead on the 86 ?

On Sat, Jul 22, 2017 at 10:14 AM, 'Noel Reed'noelreed10@...
[1] [TramsDownUnder] wrote:

Wouldn’t an anti collision system between trams be an advantage in
streets where  other options such as permissive signals [as in
Wynyard tunnels] or ATP with or without signals cannot be used to
space moving trams safely apart.

Such a system would have to distinguish between trams on adjacent
tracks.  On curves, that may be particularly difficult.

Hal Cain 

[3]

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