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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

Best Practices > Publications > Publication Titles

Title:

Utilizing Road Weather Information System (RWIS) Data to Improve Response to Adverse Weather Conditions

Abstract:

The advent and expanded use of Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) shows potential for improving the identification of weather-related factors contributing to low levels of safety and for improving guidance provided to response personnel during or preceding times of adverse weather. This investigation revealed several significant issues associated with the use of RWIS data for improving adverse weather-related crash prediction and response: (1) the categorical nature of some RWIS-reported data elements limits its usefulness in guiding response actions, (2) RWIS data is limited in historical timeline and ease of accessibility, and (3) RWIS data are highly localized spatially (i.e., reporting the pavement surface status only at the location of the in-road sensor) which results in substantial discrepancies between officer-reported and RWIS-reported crash data.

Source(s):

8th World Congress, Kimley-Horn and Associates and Montana State University-Bozeman. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.

Date: 2001

Author:

Blomquist, Carson

Keywords:


Road Weather Information System (RWIS)
Safety
Productivity

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