Skip to main content

Norway uses connected cars to increase safety on wintry roads

Norwegian road authority Norska Statens Vegvesen (NSV) is deploying Klimator and Nira Dynamics’ Road Status Information (RSI) software in connected cars to determine and transmit road grip conditions in real-time with the intention of increasing safety on wintry roads. RSI uses algorithms that combine the data from the vehicles with information from roadside weather stations and weather forecasts. The cars feature Nira's on-board diagnostics (OBD) dongles and register current position, ambient temperature
February 15, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Norwegian road authority Norska Statens Vegvesen (NSV) is deploying Klimator and Nira Dynamics’ Road Status Information (RSI) software in connected cars to determine and transmit road grip conditions in real-time with the intention of increasing safety on wintry roads. RSI uses algorithms that combine the data from the vehicles with information from roadside weather stations and weather forecasts.

The cars feature Nira's on-board diagnostics (OBD) dongles and register current position, ambient temperature, wiper activity and road friction with data continuously available on the RSI-server.

Torgeir Vaa from NSV, said: "This technology quantum leap is overdue in the business to make use of new opportunities and meet the road users' expectations. We have tested the new technology and are confident that RSI is the best performing solution.

"The plan was to have only about 50 OBD units for private volunteers, but we are very happy about this level of acceptance. The remaining OBD-dongles will be fitted into taxis, rental cars and delivery vehicles with varying use patterns - we expect very interesting winter months,” Vaa added.

Related Content

  • Intersection collision avoidance system trial
    January 31, 2012
    Although much of the emphasis of research into intersection management has tended to concentrate on the needs of urban locations, there remain specific issues pertaining to rural intersections which need to be addressed. Here, Rebecca Szymkowski and Greg Helgeson, Wisconsin DOT, Todd Szymkowski, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Craig Shankwitz and Arvind Menon, University of Minnesota detail progress on an intersection collision avoidance system for more remote locations.
  • User-based insurance joins the battle for big data
    November 10, 2015
    User-based insurance is blazing a trail others would like to follow and is also discovering the challenges. The ITS sector needs to keep a very careful eye on the automotive industry: “There’s a war going on in the connected car space creating richer datasets than we ever imagined possible” says Paul Stacy, research and development director of Wunelli, part of the LexisNexis group. The car makers have gone way beyond infotainment, unlocking huge amounts of data in the process … facts and figures which the i
  • Evolving technology - debating the future of the ITS industry
    January 25, 2012
    Harry Voccola talks to ITS International about where he sees the intelligent transportation industry heading
  • London needs just one road user charge, says report
    July 8, 2019
    London’s patchwork of road charging schemes should be replaced by a single, distance-based user charge, according to new research. Apart from anything else, it would be much fairer… The UK capital’s multiple road charging schemes require a radical overhaul, according to a new report by the Centre for London thinktank. The suggested solution is to replace existing levies on drivers with a single, distance-based user charge which would more fairly reflect how much, and at what time, people are using London