There are thousands of kilometers of tunnels around the world. For many residents of large cities, daily commutes underground seem normal. Despite this comfortable daily commute, there are major engineering challenges to maintaining the safety of traffic flows underground or in mountains, which few people are aware of.
Europe is considered an exception in tunnel safety. Tunnel safety in Europe has been significantly improved by legislation adopted by the European Union, in particular secondary legislation EU 54/2004, which requires that tunnels be equipped with safety devices and, depending on the results obtained, EU member states must rebuild their systems or in some cases expand them, for example with additional rescue tubes.
The need to add some components to tunnels to make them even safer has been one of the market drivers in the security industry. Tunnels usually have a lifespan of several decades. However, as more and more equipment in tunnels becomes electronic, the lifespan of typical electronic components is also decreasing. In recent years, the average time required to renovate tunnels equipped with electronic equipment has decreased from 20 years to 15 years.
Tunnel Safety: Challenges and Advances
There are thousands of kilometers of tunnels around the world. For many residents of large cities, commuting underground feels natural. Despite this seemingly smooth daily travel, from an engineering perspective, there are major challenges in maintaining traffic safety underground or through mountains—challenges that few people are truly aware of.
Tunnel Safety Standards in Europe
Europe is considered an exceptional case in tunnel safety. With the legislation adopted by the European Union, tunnel safety in Europe has significantly improved. In particular, EU Directive 2004/54/EC requires risk assessments to be carried out in tunnels. Depending on the results, member states must either retrofit their systems or, in some cases, expand them—for example, by adding rescue tubes.
The Impact of Tunnel Upgrades on the Security Industry
The need to add certain components to tunnels for enhanced safety has been one of the driving factors in the security industry. Tunnels are typically designed to last for several decades. However, as more and more tunnel systems become electronic, the service life of electronic components has generally decreased. In recent years, the average renovation cycle for tunnels equipped with electronic systems has dropped from 20 years to 15 years.
Integration of New Technology with Regulations
New EU regulations on tunnel safety and the limitation of potential incidents have made the use of video analytics mandatory in tunnels longer than 500 meters to ensure automatic incident detection. This has led to the increasing deployment of video surveillance cameras equipped with video analytics—particularly intelligent video analytics—in the design of future tunnels. The widespread adoption of network cameras with video analytics stems from the fact that these smart technologies are considered essential to prevent or mitigate the impact of potential tunnel incidents.
Comprehensive Tunnel Safety Solutions
A comprehensive solution typically involves multiple security and safety domains. These include fire detection systems, paging and voice alarm systems, and video surveillance systems. First, all monitoring systems are installed to quickly detect factors that may cause accidents. Second, in the event of an accident, systems such as paging and voice alarms must be in place to guide individuals safely out of dangerous situations.
Video Analytics for Tunnels
Customers who use video analytics for tunnel monitoring generally have three main demands:
Security – Detecting unauthorized access and unusual activities
Safety – Monitoring incidents that may create dangerous conditions, such as abandoned vehicles, speeding vehicles, stopped vehicles, accidents, wrong-way driving, the presence of smoke, or animal detection in the tunnel
Traffic Management – Gaining awareness of current traffic flow (number of vehicles and their speed), vehicle types, and changes over time
Future Technology and Tunnel Safety
The systems currently used in tunnel safety are relatively outdated. As mentioned earlier, tunnel systems are designed for a lifespan of about 15 years, while the tunnels themselves are built to last much longer. The introduction of new technologies in the security industry—such as autonomous vehicles and connected vehicles—will undoubtedly enhance safety levels. Connected vehicles will be able to transmit their location data continuously and directly to the control center, providing an accurate real-time picture of tunnel conditions.
The Challenges of New Technologies in Tunnels
However, these technologies also bring new challenges. For example, if a child suddenly enters a tunnel, how should an autonomous vehicle react? Should it collide with the child or crash into the wall? Regardless of which technologies are adopted in the future, one thing will remain unchanged: the desire to safely reach the light at the end of the tunnel.