Driver alert: The new system will warn drivers of adverse weather conditions ahead of time.
Inrix Road Weather aims to give drivers the sort of heads up as to the prevailing conditions that a traditional weather forecast can't provide and in doing so try to reduce road traffic accidents caused by adverse meteorological conditions.
Inrix's new service draws real-time data from connected vehicles actually on the road thanks to a partnership with the Global Weather Corporation (GWC) analyses that information to predict how weather patterns are changing as well for alerting other drivers to immediate road surface conditions.
"Inrix has been focused on making driving not only more efficient, but also safer," said the company's founder and chief executive officer, Bryan Mistele. "Road Weather is another innovative next step that continues our work to use massive amounts of big data and leading-edge technology to make connected cars safer and cities smarter."
Despite breakthroughs in active and passive vehicle safety systems, poor weather conditions are responsible for a huge number of crashes. According to Volvo research, 30% of traffic fatalities are due to slippery roads and poor visibility while National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data suggests weather plays a role in 25% of US crashes.
Users of INRIX Road Weather, be it integrated directly into their cars or accessed via an app, will receive critical road condition information every 15 minutes – i.e., if the roads are slippery because of a downpour or a drop in temperature – in alerts that are more accurate and informative than a typical weather forecast which typically doesn't cover how much if any surface water can be expected on any particular route at any particular time.
Sharing local information
This accuracy is due to cars equipped with the technology experiencing and sharing the conditions firsthand but is also due to GWC's expertise. It is a leader in the provision of hyper local weather modeling which is accurate enough for automotive application.
Inrix is by no means alone in harnessing the data from connected cars to improve safety for all road users.
Since March 2014 Volvo has been testing a cloud-hosted connected car platform of its own in and around the city of Gothenburg. Specially equipped cars report on ice buildups on certain routes and share the alerts with other road users in the area so that they can take evasive action or pick another route. The data is also used by local government to better plan how and where to grit and salt roads.
Likewise, Land Rover is developing a system that will turn its cars into mobile road quality inspectors, alerting the local government to cracked surfaces, potholes or damaged drain covers.
However, unlike Volvo and Land Rover whose systems are still in development, Inrix Road Weather will be going live this month across Europe and the US. — AFP Relaxnews
