I boars are a topical and discussion topic in many Italian regions and the proposals to deal with the emergency are no longer counted. One of the most curious projects is the one that will be tested in Lombardy, to be precise by Verbano Valleys Mountain Community (the capital is Luino, in the province of Varese). As told by Varese News, this is the so-called "traffic light" that will regulate the "traffic" of roe deer, deer and above all wild boar, ungulates responsible for very serious traffic accidents. The debut is scheduled for next spring, with a rather sophisticated system on which a lot of expectations are focusing. In practice, the goal is to detect the presence of the unungulate from the moment it is in the woods, but still close to the roadway, without forgetting the signaling of the same presence within fifty meters.
Some bollards that will work with ultrasound, then, will be useful for remove the animal from the risk area. The promoters of the project have thoroughly studied the territory of the Mountain Community, carefully mapping the main points where wild boars usually cross the road or get too close to it. Based on the most frequent sightings and the highest number of road accidents, the areas have been divided according to their risk (red identified the most dangerous areas of all, with over ten claims).
That is why the traffic lights will begin to appear precisely in the points of greatest concern and where transit is important. The list includes state and provincial roads a Gemonio, Azzio, Cuveglio, Mesenzana, Germignaga, Luino, Porto Valtravaglia and Ticinallo: motorists will be able to recognize traffic lights easily because we are talking about columns arranged on the side of the roadway. According to Charles Molinari, councilor of the Mountain Community, road safety and therefore of citizens must become priorities, as a result the boar must be stopped before it becomes a source of trouble.
It is not a first time for Italy, however, given that similar devices have already been introduced in Tuscany and Trentino Alto Adige. We rely on the precision of the sensors that are able to sense the approach, as well as the optical sighter that can recognize the hoofed animal and distract it from the road. The driving schools of the municipalities included in the Mountain Community will have the task of teaching this new warning sign and to raise awareness as much as possible. The project also took part in theOikos Institute of Milan, now only concrete experimentation is awaited, after which it will be possible to draw up an initial assessment.