ROAD WEATHER SERVICE SYSTEM IN FINLAND AND SAVINGS IN DRIVING COSTS
The Finnish National Road Administration has developed a road weather service system that produces weather information for both road maintenance personnel and road users. The measuring data of road weather stations and the service of the Meleorological Institute (forecasts and radar and satellite pictures) are transmitted to users' workstations in real time. All the data are combined and shown in visual form. The real-time system also includes an alarm call system for when the weather development exceeds the determined limits at certain road weather stations. The service system enables communication between two workstations or a workstation and a central station for real-time information transmission concerning salting operations and such. In the first phase, the system was built mainly with the needs of maintenance personnel in mind. The objective is to improve the monitoring of road weather conditions so that winter maintenance can be carried out systematically and at the right time. The main benefit is the possibility to anticipate the road surface freezing and thus eliminate accidents caused by slipperiness. The road weather information can also act as an impulse for the traffic signs to change according to the weather. The benefits of driving costs consist of the savings in accident costs, vehicle costs, and time costs. The service system gives good real-time information and forecasts of the road condition, so the time that the roads are slippery can be shortened and accidents eliminated. Prompter salting or plowing will improve the trafficability, and driving time will be shorter than it would be without the road weather system. Plowing at the right time affects the thickness of snow and slush on the road. The duration of slippery road condition has been estimated to shorten 10 to 30 min per deicing activity in Finland. Each of these effects results in savings in driving costs.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309054583
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1387, Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology; Papers presented at the 3rd International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology, September 14-18, 1992, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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Authors:
- Pili-Sihvola, Yrjo
- Toivonen, Kimmo
- Kantonen, Jouko
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Conference:
- Third International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology
- Location: Minneapolis Minnesota
- Date: 1992-9-14 to 1992-9-18
- Publication Date: 1993
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References;
- Pagination: p. 196-200
- Monograph Title: Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology. Papers Presented at a Symposium, September 14-18, 1992, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Serial:
- Transportation Research Record
- Issue Number: 1387
- Publisher: Transportation Research Board
- ISSN: 0361-1981
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Communications; Cost control; Cost effectiveness; Forecasting; Prevention; Real time control; Road weather information systems; Safety; User benefits; Winter maintenance
- Uncontrolled Terms: Cost savings; Road conditions
- Geographic Terms: Finland
- Old TRIS Terms: Real-time systems
- Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; I62: Winter Maintenance; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00636282
- Record Type: Publication
- ISBN: 0309054583
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Sep 3 1993 12:00AM