METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO VEHICLES RUNNING ALONG A ROAD OR MOTORWAY SECTION, PARTICULARLY IN A TUNNEL

摘要

The method comprises the operations of: acquiring by means of a plurality of video cameras (3) equally spaced along a road section (10) a plurality of images each relating to a respective subsection (12) of the road section (10); verifying the entry of a first vehicle (1) into the road section (10); processing the images of all the subsections of road (12) in order to check whether at the moment of entry of a first vehicle (1) into the road section (10) there is present within the section a second vehicle (2) which precedes the first vehicle (1) by a distance that is less than a prescribed safety distance; and acquiring and storing an image of the number plate of the first vehicle (1) if the presence of the second vehicle (2) within the road section (10) has been detected and the distance between the vehicles (1, 2) is less than the safety distance.