Abnormal hotspots spell danger (Image: Siemens)
SOME of the most lethal fires in road tunnels could be prevented by an experimental system that picks out cars and trucks at risk of catching fire, before they enter a tunnel.
Many tunnel fires start when defects in a vehicle’s brakes or engine cause them to run dangerously hot. So in tests to be carried out in the Aubinger road tunnel near Munich this month, engineers at Siemens in Germany will look for hotspots on each vehicle by pointing infrared cameras at them 1 kilometre before the tunnel’s entrance.
“Fires can start when defects in a truck’s brakes…
