Road Weather Management Program
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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

Title:

Needs Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis of RoadView Advanced Snowplow Technology System

Abstract:

The RoadView(TM) system was originally developed to determine the feasibility of implementing an advanced snowplow control system to improve the safety and efficiency of snow removal operations. As follow-on research, this evaluation was designed to determine the magnitude of the challenges faced by snowplow operators, particularly during low-visibility conditions. Both a needs assessment and a cost?benefit analysis (BCA) of the RoadView system are provided. The analyses focused on data gathered primarily from four western states: Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The three main factors to be considered in the needs assessment and potential BCA were safety, mobility, and operational issues. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from participating DOTs, including a survey distributed to snowplow operators in the four designated states. The survey was designed to gain further insight into perceived problems with limited-visibility snow removal operations and to examine current methods being used by snowplow operators to improve their spatial and situational awareness during low-visibility conditions.

Source(s):

6th International Symposium on Snow Removal and Ice Control Technology, Transportation Research Circular, No. E-C063

http://trb.org/publications/circulars/ec063.pdf

Date: 2004

Author:

Kack, Cuelho

Keywords:


Visibility
Safety
Mobility

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