• 15
  • December
    2011

Colorado-based engineers from the Vaisala Group, a global leader in environmental measurement systems, have developed a new technology that can detect road conditions. They hope it can be incorporated into roadways across the country to alert drivers of hazards and reduce car accidents.

Most North Carolina drivers and motorists elsewhere throughout the country agree that icy roads and heavy rain are two of the most difficult weather conditions in which to drive. Estimates are that a car accident occurs every 30 seconds, with many crashes being directly attributed to bad weather conditions. More than 7,000 individuals die each year in vehicle accidents in the United States because of inclement weather, and many more suffer injuries ranging from minor to catastrophic.

Although weather reports and traffic updates do help drivers know what type of driving conditions they may be facing, the new technology represents a true advance in helping them avoid collisions and loss of vehicle control.

The system -- already developed and undergoing further tweaking -- is embedded in the pavement and employs infrared lasers. They are able to record road conditions instantly and, within a micro-second, transmit relevant information to a computer. As ultimately envisioned, the data will be made readily accessible to drivers through weather stations that will transmit the information and will be positioned at regular intervals alongside roads.

According to Kevin Perry, Ph.D., an atmospheric scientist and the head of technology research at Vaisala, the technology can inform drivers of both what is occurring at the moment and what they will be facing in upcoming minutes and hours.

It is still a little unclear as to when this technology can be put into broad-based commercial use. Nonetheless, it is something that North Carolina motorists and their peers across the country can look forward to.

Source: Ivanhoe Broadcast News, "Safe or slippery -- detecting dangerous roads" Dec. 2011