A system is an organized way of achieving a goal. Traffic control is a type of system. Like all other systems, traffic control systems have inputs, processes, and outputs. Some also have feedback and subsystems.
Inputs are any of the seven resources of technology that are put into the system. Which inputs do you think are used in traffic control? Here are some examples:
- People: They drive the cars, organize the system, use pedestrian crosswalks, and penalize those who fail to observe the rules.
- Tools and Machines: These include such things as traffic lights and vehicles driven by traffic police.
- Capital: It is needed to build and maintain the roads and control devices and pay for tolls and traffic tickets.
- Time: It involves the speed at which traffic flows and how long a stoplight stays red.
- Energy: Electricity is needed to run traffic lights and electronic signs; gasoline is used to power cars and trucks.
- Materials: They are needed to make the signs and lights.
- Information: It is used to plan the system and help drivers with navigation.
The process involves what happens to the inputs in order to produce a result. This includes many operations that allow drivers to successfully travel through the system in an orderly way and arrive at their destinations safely. Everything from the changing of traffic lights to the painting of a yellow stripe down the middle of the roadway is part of the process.
What are the outputs of a traffic control system? Moving traffic efficiently through the system is of course the primary output. Employment for traffic police and sign painters is another. Can you think of others, both positive and negative?
Traffic control systems may be open or closed. A system of simple four-way stop signs at intersections is an example of an open system. It does not include a built-in feedback loop. However, if a camera were installed at the intersection to record the flow of traffic, the system would be closed.
Before the automobile, traffic control in less congested areas was often left to the drivers themselves. Bicycle and horse and buggy traffic did not usually move very fast, and one vehicle could yield to another fairly easily. However, as more and more people began to use the roadways, the danger increased. With automobiles, speeds increased as well. More control became necessary. In the future, traffic control may increase again. “Intelligent” vehicles equipped with computers may become directly linked to the traffic control system. Using radar and Global Positioning System technology, they will help drivers avoid obstacles and other hazards.
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For this WebQuest, your job is to find out more about systems as they relate to traffic control. To demonstrate what you have learned, you will answer the questions included here. You will also complete one of the activities described at the end of this WebQuest.
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Read through the following questions. Then research the Internet resources that are provided for you. As you explore the sites, look for answers to the questions. Keep a record of any sites where you find answers by noting the title and URL (Internet address). For example:
(title) Technology Student Association
(URL) www.tsaweb.org
- What type of vehicle did policemen in the “Scorcher Squad” ride in New York City in 1895? What was the speed limit at the time?
- Who developed the first automated traffic control system and in what year?
- Why were so many workers available to build roadways during the 1930s?
- Which two presidents were responsible for building the Interstate Highway System in the United States? When did the program finally get under way?
- Name at least three of the nine potentially hazardous roadway conditions.
- Trains can’t stop quickly or turn out of the way, so rail crossings can be very dangerous. How many miles does it take for a 150-car freight train traveling at 50 mph to stop?
- What is the cause of most roadway crashes and fatalities?
- How are intelligent vehicle systems being used to aid snowplow drivers during winter storms?
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Visit the Web sites listed here to find information that will enable you to answer the questions. Be sure to keep a record of any sites you use.
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Several activities are described below. Complete one of these activities (your choice) to demonstrate the understandings you’ve gained by going on this WebQuest.
- Take part in a panel discussion about the possible positive and negative outputs of using intelligent vehicles in traffic control systems.
- Design a traffic control system for a small town that is a combination of both open and closed systems. Create a display of your system.
- Interview someone working in traffic control. Ask how teen drivers can help the process. Write an article for your school newspaper or Web site about the interview.
- Do some research on the first drivers’ licenses. Where were they first issued and why? Write a brief report about your findings.
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