[Article] How a click can help drivers avert a slip on icy roads

Victor

Link: http://www.nra.ie/RoadWeatherInformation

How a click can help drivers avert a slip on icy roads
From:The Irish Independent
Monday, 3rd February, 2003
Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent
http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/239096?view=Eircomnet

DRIVERS can now identify the locations of dangerous icy stretches before they decide whether to embark on hazardous journeys.

The National Roads Authority yesterday launched an internet weather information service which will supply vital information on the state of individual roads and show if there is ice, frost, snow or rain on them. The new service will also inform motorists if the relevant local authorities have treated the road where snow and ice have occurred.

Launching the service, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan requested the NRA "as a matter of urgency" to develop technology so that the information can be supplied to motorists in their cars via mobile phones or computer systems.

The website featuring this information http://www.nra.ie/RoadWeatherInformation was devised by the NRA's transportation and IT departments to provide crucial travel information aimed at enhancing safety on the country's national routes.

The minister said the service would result in major safety benefits for motorists by helping them determine road conditions along their planned route.

This would greatly assist them in planning their journeys or in considering whether to undertake them in extreme weather conditions. It would also allow motorists to factor in extra time to complete trips and to exercise due caution, he said.

"The service is an important addition to the existing road safety measures," he added.

NRA chairman Peter Malone said they were providing the facility as a public information service, particularly during the winter period. "Road safety is of paramount importance to the Authority and we are confident that this service will have a positive impact," he said.

The website provides current road-condition information based on readings taken from the NRA's network of 52 weather-monitoring stations and road sensors located on national roads throughout the country. These stations are part of the Authority's Ice Detection and Prediction System.

At each station site, road sensors which measure road-surface temperature have been installed. Linked by modem, the meteorological information is relayed to Met Eireann.

The web pages update automatically at 15 minutes past the hour to display the most recent readings from the road sensors usually taken on the hour.

Another new NRA web service contains traffic-volume data for individual routes and includes average monthly traffic flows; holiday weekend traffic volumes; average daily traffic volumes; and heavy goods vehicle content for each hour.

Michael Tobin, NRA chief executive, said the information gathered from the Authority's 140 counters across the national road network will prove invaluable to local authorities and the business community.

mike65

I heard about this first thing this morning, I thought who the hells boots up thier PC to go on-line to check the roads at 7 am?

Not me!

Mike.

Victor

The link to Met Eireann at the bottom right hand side of

http://www.nra.ie/RoadWeatherInfo/Map/leinster/index.html

does not show properly at a resolution of 1152x864 (it scrolls under the page). Selecting and dragging the "Weather data is current but subject to change. For weather forecasts, use the following link(s):" text reveals it.

e-mail sent.

mike65

What a useless map! Well system rather than map, its only got 52 stations which might sound enough but plainly is'nt. I'm in Waterford
and the nearest station is Clonmel or West Waterford or Kilkenny City. None of which will tell me feck all about the roads I use to get to work!

Mike.

Victor

Stop stalking me

Victor

Originally posted by Victor
e-mail sent.

From : INFO@nra.ie
From: RQuinn
Sent: 04 February 2003 09:46
To: INFO
Subject: RE: NRA website - Road Weather Information



Thank you for this. We will try to rectify.

Regards

Ronan Quinn,
IT Manager,
NRA,
4/2/03.