en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Spanish Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) has recently approved the first connected signal cones developed by Netun Solutions, aimed at reducing accident risks in road construction and maintenance areas.

According to 2024 data released by the DGT, a total of 142 accidents related to road maintenance operations occurred that year, 23 of which directly involved operators working on or near the roadway. Most cases were pedestrian collisions during signal placement, with speeding being one of the most critical factors in enforcement actions that year; the agency found that eight out of ten drivers did not comply with speed limits on these stretches.

After receiving official certification, these devices will be integrated into the DGT 3.0 ecosystem—a real-time platform promoted by Spain's road management authority to connect infrastructure, vehicles, and traffic events. Once the cones are placed on the road, information about road closures, ongoing operations, or accidents is no longer dependent on time-consuming manual communication but is automatically transmitted to variable message signs along the road network and to vehicles in the area (via navigation systems and connected dashboards).

Each cone is equipped with GPS, connected via a data SIM card, and has an autonomous operating capacity of over ten days. It continuously communicates its location and operational status, immediately sending an alert to the control center if it falls over, moves unexpectedly, or experiences battery or coverage failures. Through the Incidence platform, operators can monitor all deployments on a real-time interactive map and save the history of each intervention.

This innovation aligns with Spain's recently approved new regulations for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), consolidating the transition to a digital, preventive, and real-time signaling model.