it's for real alright...
(not referring to the specific product on the site i linked you to, just the device itself)
after you get yours let me know what you think<g>
:)
dailyrepublic.com
Signal-changer not a worry to officials - yet
By Jeffrey Mitchell
FAIRFIELD -- Imagine this fantasy: You're running late and the dry cleaning shop is about to close.
You've got to get those shirts or you'll be in big trouble with the spouse. Up ahead you spot an intersection that's notorious for having incredibly long red lights.
What to do?
Well, if you've got a MIRT, you just hit a button on a small dashboard-mounted device and change that pesky red light to green. Now you've got the chance to get to the shop with time to spare.
Now, imagine every motorist having such device.
Sound like a traffic nightmare?
Some traffic engineers and public safety officials say so. Others, however - including a sampling of Solano County officials - say they aren't so worried.
The device, which has been featured on the Internet auction site eBay as well as online locally through a Roseville dealer, may be purchased for $300 each.
The so-called Mobile Infrared Transmitter is a device designed to manipulate traffic signal pre-emption signal changers, which have been in use at intersections since the early 1970s. The primary maker of the devices include 3M Co. and Tomar Electronics, Inc. and are primarily sold under the trade name Opticon.
U.S. Department of Transportation officials recently told the Associated Press that a survey showed the devices are in use at 26,500 intersections in 78 cities across the nation.
In Solano County, the cities of Fairfield and Vallejo are the largest users of Opticons, primarily for fire and public works vehicles. Fairfield police do not use the devices.
Representatives selling MIRTs say that while they've been besieged with requests, they say they will only sell the devices to authorized public safety agencies or city governments.
"The hysteria behind this has been amazing," said Eric Rideout, a Roseville dealer of MIRTs which are manufactured and distributed by Fridley, Minn.-based FAC America, Inc.
"When folks call I have to tell them they're out of luck if they're not representing an official agency," Rideout said. "I could have sold a hundred in the last three days alone."
Moreover, California Highway Patrol officials told Rideout that civilian possession of the devices violates several sections of the state vehicle code.
Not overly worried
Officials say that Opticons were designed to assist emergency and other official vehicles in getting through city traffic faster. When a switch is flipped inside a fire engine, for example, a red signal light will turn to green at a distance of about 1,500 feet.
Unlike the MIRT devices, Opticons which can cost eight times as much, typically run on a code-encrypted designed to blockout infrared signals sent out by a MIRT.
It's precisely because of this protection that local officials say they are not worried about any proliferation of bargain basement signal changers.
"We have about 40 Opticons in use in Fairfield," said Michael Smith, Fairfield's fire chief. "I'm not worried because our systems are designed to block out any signals that aren't coded. If the system doesn't recognize the code, it simply ignores it."
Vallejo police Lt. Eric Mortenson echoed Smith.
"We have Opticons on both our police and fire vehicles. We have found them very useful," Mortenson said. "Obviously, if these devices (MIRTs) ever overcame the encryption, we'd be very concerned."
Vacaville officials say they have no signal pre-emption devices on city traffic lights but agreed that the potential scenario of motorists changing lights on a whim is a recipe for disaster.
"That would be nuts," said Chris Bailey of the city's traffic engineering department.
While Rideout says his company will refuse to sell the device to regular motorists, the Web site which pitches the small devices - about the size of a dashboard radar detector - has a large, multi-page profile which unabashedly pitches the virtues of the device.
FAC America President Tim Gow told the AP that his company markets the devices to "cash-strapped" public safety agencies that can't afford the pricier signal changers.
Nevertheless, the MIRT Web site promotes the device as a "great business opportunity" to sell a unique product to a huge market which includes police and fire agencies as well as funeral home directors, city council members and emergency volunteers, to name a few suggested potential buyers.
A recent review of the Web site doesn't openly list members of the public as part of the MIRT's target audience, but it doesn't openly bar them, either.
Jeffrey Mitchell can be reached at jmitchell@dailyrepublic.net. |
