Wrong-way drivers in Germany cause around 80 accidents a year, often with severe consequences. Until the incident is reported, ghost drivers often drive for 10 to 15 minutes in the wrong lane endangering themselves and other traffic participants. To help remedy this situation, the three students Daniel Gillo, Julian Neu, and Benjamin Kirsch developed Ghostbuster, a warning system that reliably detects wrong-way drivers at an early stage. Ghostbuster’s sensors identify vehicles and the direction in which they are driving. The sensors are integrated in reflector posts and can be put up easily on any motorway, at any junction or service area. With the help of the system wrong-way drivers can be identified and consequently warned when they are still at the intersection or entranceway to the service area and thus are not driving on the motorway yet. Should the driver reach the motorway despite the warning, he or she can be stopped more quickly due to the system’s extremely short reaction time. In addition, Ghostbuster can send an emergency signal independently via mobile radio so that helpers can reach the location as quickly as possible.
Thanks to the clever use of sensor technology, Ghostbuster ensures that ghost drivers are identified more quickly reducing the number of accidents on motorways.