TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To bolster road safety, the Taichung City Construction Bureau has implemented Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to identify potential hazards associated with roadside trees, such as falling branches or unstable roots.
Previously, tree health assessments relied heavily on visual inspections. By adopting LiDAR technology, the city can conduct more thorough evaluations, addressing potential risks before they escalate into safety threats, per CNA.
LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that measures distances to objects by emitting laser pulses and recording the time it takes for the reflected light to return to the sensor. This process enables precise distance calculations, according to Rohm Semiconductor.
LiDAR is crucial for autonomous vehicles and is also used in various applications. It is employed in fields, such as consumer electronics and industrial automation, for high-precision object detection tasks.
It offers a significant efficiency boost in tree health assessments by analyzing factors like tree height, lean, and crown density. The method surpasses the capacity of traditional visual inspections by tenfold, which typically assesses around 5,000 trees per year, per UDN.
Local council members expressed concerns over the safety risks posed by ailing roadside trees in a meeting Tuesday (Nov. 12). Cases of trees causing road accidents and subsequent legal battles highlight the urgent need for better tree management.
Milkwood trees, known for their fragility in strong winds, silk-cotton tree flowers, and Indian Almond Hazel Sterculias fruits can pose risks to road safety. To mitigate these threats, city officials have called to replace these trees with more resilient species.
Over the past five years, Taipei has incurred NT$9.52 million (US$293,370) in compensation for 48 road tree accidents, according to a report from the Control Yuan. Taichung has paid the most nationwide at over NT$14 million (US$431,426) for 22 cases.
Citizens have the right to seek government compensation for damages caused by roadside trees. The outcome of these claims can be uncertain, from acceptance to rejection or negotiated settlements.
Pests and diseases can silently weaken trees, making them more vulnerable to wind damage. Additionally, exposed tree roots can disrupt road surfaces and pose a hazard to vehicles.
