A Bahrain company has proposed a road safety system to prevent damage to overhead gantry signs on the country's major highways.

Hyder Consulting's so-called 'Over Height Detection System and Policy' would be implemented on the new bridges and underpasses being constructed with a minimum headroom clearance of 5.8m.

Warning signs would also be shown in several languages, including Arabic, English and Malayalam.

The proposal was highlighted during the second 'Middle East Intelligent Transport Systems Conference and Exhibition,' in Manama earlier this month.

"The proposed system will enable us to detect over-height vehicles using infrared beams spanning the highway at a set height," said Hyder Consulting senior highway engineer in Middle East Mike Newport.

"When these beams are broken, the control system will automatically warn the driver of the restriction and divert them to an alternative route."

The company came up with the plan after reviewing the existing road safety policy on several main roads, including the King Faisal Highway, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway and Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway.-TradeArabia News Service