As part of the pilot program, black ice sensors were installed at five locations in the Snowy Mountains. Photo: TfNSW.
As part of the pilot program, motorists will soon receive real-time updates on potential ice on ski resort parking lots and roads.
Real-Time Alpine Info Pilot is presented by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW). Sensors and weather stations have been installed along his five roadsides in Snowy Mountain to identify and detect warning signs of black ice and unsafe driving conditions.
Regional Transport and Highways Minister Sam Faraway said knowing when to put on snow chains and when to cancel trips due to conditions could be “life-saving” information on alpine trails. rice field.
“On a busy winter morning, more than 6,000 vehicles leave Jindabyne and make their way up the slopes,” he said.
“This amount of traffic in difficult conditions and inexperienced drivers on alpine roads unfortunately contribute to daily accidents.”
A TfNSW spokesperson pointed out that this number of vehicles, combined with dangerous driving conditions and inexperienced drivers on high mountain roads, lead to more than 120 accidents every day.
“In the five years to 2021, there have been 161 crashes recorded with ‘snow or ice’ as the road surface condition,” they said.
“These clashes injured 129 people, including 25 seriously injured.”
The Real-Time Alpine Information Pilot Weather Station was installed during the 2022 snow season.
Located at Lennix Gap, Pipers Gap, Penderley, Thredbo’s Alpine Way and Sawyers Hill.
A TfNSW spokesperson said, “We plan to deliver information to our customers via our website, including live traffic and electronic message signs, and are investigating the use of push alert notifications for the 2023 snow season.” said.
Weather stations have sensors that monitor road surface temperature, air temperature, precipitation and wind speed.
TfNSW’s Deputy Director of Customer Strategy and Technology Joost De Kock said the pilot pooled overseas road surveillance tools and new data network technology.
“This project was put forward by our Alpine Innovation team. We see an opportunity to make snow travel safer and are happy to support it,” he said.
“Getting live alerts through signs, live traffic apps and websites is better for drivers and safer for staff who currently manually inspect alpine trails.”
The weather station is solar powered and data is transmitted over a special low power long range wide area network.
The sensors are also linked to traffic counters and will deliver up-to-date parking information on the slopes. Photo: TfNSW.
It’s also linked to traffic counters on major roads in the area, providing real-time data on resort and ski tube parking availability.
“Traffic counters monitor the number of vehicles passing through key sections of the road. This information can be used to display parking availability in real time,” said a TfNSW spokesperson. increase.
“Transport for NSW opens the door to the potential for traffic and parking availability data to be shared directly with customers, especially in the summer as well as in the winter, especially for customers participating in mountain biking and hiking activities. I see the benefits.”
Eleven traffic counters are located in Wilsons Valley, Gutega Road, Prussian Creek, Pipers Gap, Penderley, Thredbo Diggings, Friday Flat Drive, Alpine Way and Sawyers Hill.
MP Nichole Overall of Monaro said he was “incredibly pleased” that this would provide both tourists and locals with the information they need for a safer trip to the slopes.
“Your travel updates will empower you and make you aware of the dangers of black ice or provide you with the knowledge to turn around to avoid going up a mountain because your parking lot is full. I will,” she said.
“This will enable drivers to make safe and informed decisions.”
If there is sufficient demand, we may activate traffic counters to distribute information during the summer, but may not be operational during the 2022/23 summer season.
The real-time alpine infopilot will continue into winter 2023, and once completed, TfNSW will survey other black ice and snow prone locations that could benefit from this technology, such as the Great Western Highway.
