Smart Safety for Smarter Maintenance: How the Sentinel is Powering the Future of Barrier Monitoring 
In an industry where time, accuracy, and safety are everything, maintenance contractors face increasing pressure to deliver more with fewer resources, tighter deadlines, and stricter compliance requirements. That’s why contractors and transport agencies around the world are turning to smart safety systems to stay ahead.

One of the most effective tools emerging on the international stage is the Sentinel Impact Tracker. From the same team that brought you the Scorpion Attenuator, TrafFix Devices has developed a real-time alert system that enables road crews to respond faster, reduce risks, and improve maintenance outcomes.

What Is the Sentinel — and Why Should You Care?
The Sentinel is a compact device mounted on roadside safety assets like crash cushions, guardrails, and signage. Its role is simple but powerful: when an impact occurs, it instantly notifies your team with the critical information you need:

• Exact GPS location of the incident
• Time and date of the collision
• Product ID, impact history, and condition report

No more relying on the public to report damage, or wasting hours inspecting assets that are in perfect condition. You’ll know what happened, where it happened, and what needs attention — all in real time.

In California, for instance, the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) successfully deployed Sentinel devices to monitor roadside barriers. In one notable case, a Sentinel alert allowed a response crew to arrive at a fiery crash within minutes, saving a family trapped inside a vehicle. That kind of response time simply isn’t possible with traditional inspection methods.

Efficiency and Safety in One Smart Package
For contractors, efficiency isn’t just a goal — it’s how you stay competitive. The Sentinel helps you:

• Reduce unnecessary inspections — if there’s no impact, there’s no need to roll a truck
• Improve crew safety — fewer roadside visits mean less exposure to live traffic
• Respond faster — repair or replace damaged equipment before it becomes a bigger hazard
• Stay compliant — track assets easily and prove proactive maintenance to clients or regulators

U.S. agencies using the Sentinel are already seeing measurable results: faster response times, fewer secondary crashes, and improved alignment with national safety standards.

Built with Contractors in Mind
The Sentinel’s rugged, weatherproof design and five-year battery life make it suitable for both permanent infrastructure and temporary work zones. Whether you’re managing a regional highway network or a mobile traffic setup, the Sentinel fits the job.

Better yet, it integrates seamlessly with  Asset  Management Databases like RAMM, making it easier to meet asset tracking and compliance requirements — a key advantage when tendering for national contracts that demand detailed reporting and performance tracking.

Local Potential
As New Zealand transitions into a new era of performance-based maintenance contracts and digital asset management, the Sentinel offers a powerful edge for contractors ready to lead the way — and outperform the competition.

Reach out to the RTL team today to explore how we can work together to deploy more innovative products, like the Sentinel Impact Tracker to create a safer, more resilient transportation network in New Zealand. Call us on 0800 785 744 or sales@rtl.co.nz