Skip to main content

Wet road surveys an ‘effective safety strategy’

A specially adapted Sideway-force Coefficient Routine Investigation Machine (SCRIM) manufactured by UK company WDM and used by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to survey the country’s road network has been, says NZTA ‘a very efficient and effective safety strategy’. SCRIM measures wet road resistance and uses lasers to scan the road surface. Video technology helps delivers a complete set of highway asset data. WDM has also helped NZTA develop the first state highway skid resistance policy. As a r
January 30, 2014 Read time: 1 min
A specially adapted Sideway-force Coefficient Routine Investigation Machine (SCRIM) manufactured by UK company WDM and used by the 6296 New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to survey the country’s road network has been, says NZTA ‘a very efficient and effective safety strategy’.

SCRIM measures wet road resistance and uses lasers to scan the road surface.  Video technology helps delivers a complete set of highway asset data. WDM has also helped NZTA develop the first state highway skid resistance policy. As a result, up to 250 crashes are estimated to have been prevented, saving the economy around US$132 million.

NZTA says the return on investment is between 13 and 35 times and the two organisations have renewed their partnership, enabling WDM to continue to develop SCRIM technology.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Preparations building for French national truck toll
    September 12, 2012
    The Autostrade led Ecomouv consortium is developing the next big system of truck tolling likely to be introduced in Europe – France’s ‘Eco-tax’. Jon Masters reports. Since October last year, a consortium of companies has been working on developing the technological and administrative systems necessary for a national system of truck tolling in France. Eco-tax, France’s truck toll, is not necessarily going to be implemented. The Ecomouv consortium has been set up as a long term concessionaire, but so far only
  • Governments must look beyond short-term spending of public funds
    February 2, 2012
    Phil Pettitt, Chief Executive of innovITS, the UK's ITS Centre of Excellence, argues that governments need to look beyond the short-term when looking to pump-prime economic recovery with public funds. It seems, in the current economic climate, that a 'good' day is one in which no company is announcing job cuts or going into administration. Consumer demand is down and businesses are retrenching, cutting costs and fretting over the consequences of shrinking opportunities and order books. It has not been this
  • Cooperative infrastructures, cooperative enforcement?
    March 2, 2012
    A dozen years from now, will enforcement still be constrained by the legislative thinking which currently prevails? Or will the needs of the wider transport community bring about some welcome changes?
  • ITF diagnoses South Asia’s breathing difficulties
    August 26, 2022
    One of the world’s fastest-growing regions faces major transport sector decisions if it is to avoid spiralling emissions problems in coming decades. Alan Dron takes a look at a new report on Asia from the International Transport Forum