Vaisala raises weather warning with ITS industry and auto makers

Vaisala’s chief scientific officer, Dr Kevin Petty, is a man on a mission. He is here at ITS America 2016 San Jose to tell exhibitors, speakers and delegates that they must make provisions for the effects of weather on transportation. “In the US, there are 5,000 fatalities on the road each year due to weather-related factors,” he said, adding: “If weather conditions are not taken into account, the full benefits of connected and autonomous vehicles will not be realised.” He is excited by the prospect o
June 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Kevin Petty of Vaisala
144 Vaisala’s chief scientific officer, Dr Kevin Petty, is a man on a mission. He is here at ITS America 2016 San Jose to tell exhibitors, speakers and delegates that they must make provisions for the effects of weather on transportation.

“In the US, there are 5,000 fatalities on the road each year due to weather-related factors,” he said, adding: “If weather conditions are not taken into account, the full benefits of connected and autonomous vehicles will not be realised.”

He is excited by the prospect of connected vehicles as data collection probes for road conditions and the potential to convey weather related information to or between vehicles but says: “Weather is such a big factor in road incidents, but when I go round the exhibitors’ stands I don’t see evidence that its effects are being taken into account in the products and services on display.

“Human drivers instinctively slow down when visibility decreases or grip deteriorates but if autonomous vehicles do not, this could expose them to potential problems in the rain, snow, fog or simply darkness. So it is imperative that the ITS industry and vehicle designers begin to factor in weather-related effects and to use the information that is or can be made available.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Sowing the seeds: venture capital and ITS
    May 20, 2024
    Seed funding can help the budding creators of mobility solutions to realise their dreams and ambitions. Laura Fox of Streetlife Ventures tells Adam Hill what venture capital investors look for
    Read More
  • Study finds big differences in toll collection cases
    December 16, 2013
    Examination of Norway’s tolling companies finds much to praise, and some criticisms too, as Torill Eidsheim told delegates at the ASECAP conference. The cost of collecting tolls has a substantial effect on the profitability, or otherwise, of tolling companies and is within the company’s control to a far greater degree than, for instance, traffic volumes. And while it is easy to assume that all tolling companies incur similar collection costs, that is not always the case according to Torill Eidsheim, pres
    Read More
  • Lowering the barriers to combined control rooms
    March 29, 2017
    Integrating control rooms can improve traffic management, security and emergency response without excessive cost or compromising privacy. In the wake of the recent terrorist events in France and Germany where the transport system was exploited with deadly consequences, many governments and agencies are reviewing the security arrangements – particularly around popular and high profile events. Increasing security in transport systems that must remain accessible to the general public will not be easy but in ma
    Read More
  • Cubic promotes the power of partnerships
    August 22, 2016
    Cubic’s Andy Taylor considers the growing need for partnerships in the transportation sector. At the end of June, The Guardian newspaper in the UK broke a game-changing transport story – Sidewalk Labs, a secretive subsidiary of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is working on a project that aims to radically overhaul parking and transportation in American cities.
    Read More

Highlighted Content