New Product Uses Data from Connected Cars and Weather Predictions to Improve Driver Safety
Munich, Germany – September 1, 2015 – Even with recent innovations in steering, traction and braking systems, drivers still regularly face dangerous weather-related road conditions. Today, INRIX announced INRIX Road Weather, which provides critical information on road conditions, including updated alerts every 15 minutes. Unlike traditional weather services, INRIX Road Weather provides information on the roads themselves, including type of precipitation, surface conditions and visibility, among others. It is the first system to use real-time data from connected vehicles to report road conditions and alert other drivers of potentially dangerous situations. Road Weather is available today to automotive and enterprise customers in North America and Europe.
Adverse weather conditions have a huge impact on travelers in Germany:
- 10.3 % of all car crashes in Germany are weather related[1]
- 61.4% of fatal car crashes on highways are caused by wet roads and heavy rainfalls[2]
- Slippery roads due to rainfall caused 7,056 car crashes in 2014. 3,499 crashes were caused by slippery roads due to snow or ice[3]
- In December 2010, Germany experienced the fourth coldest winter of the last 120 years. During this time, there were 39% more crashes with personal damage compared to those in December 2011[4]
Despite aggressive improvements in safety systems, the best thing drivers can do is to avoid dangerous road conditions completely, but that’s not always possible. Leveraging a broad set of public and private data sources, real-time vehicle sensor data, and forecast modeling technology from Global Weather Corporation (GWC), INRIX Road Weather keeps drivers and their vehicles informed of dangerous road conditions ahead.
“INRIX has been focused on making driving not only more efficient, but also safer,“ said Bryan Mistele, founder and chief executive officer of INRIX. “Road Weather is another innovative next step that continues our work to use massive amounts of big data and leading-edge technology to make connected cars safer and cities smarter.”
The road condition information collected by INRIX is analyzed and transmitted to other vehicles and mobile applications giving drivers important and timely information on whether they should adjust their route or driving behavior well ahead of the problem. INRIX Road Weather can also help public transportation and road maintenance agencies be more efficient applying resources. Additionally, it can assist emergency service personnel manage traffic flow before a crash occurs.
INRIX developed Road Weather in collaboration with GWC, the world’s most accurate temperature forecaster in 2013 and 2014, as reported by independent analyst ForecastWatch. Combining the data available from in-vehicle sensors with GWC’s algorithms to accurately predict temperature and precipitation on the road, INRIX Road Weather can alert drivers to dangerous situations before they happen.
“Global Weather Corporation has pioneered the global use of hyperlocal weather models to create forecasts even specific enough for vehicle applications. We are partnering with INRIX to leverage the power of real-time connected vehicle data that can further enhance forecast accuracy and coverage, which will ultimately improve driver safety,” stated Mark Flolid, chief executive officer, GWC.
INRIX Road Weather is available now for automakers, mobile application developers and public sector agencies, and will soon be available in the INRIX mobile app. For more information please visit INRIX.com.
About Global Weather Corporation
To serve a world connected by information, Global Weather Corporation® (GWC) is transforming how weather forecasts are created, delivered, and used. GWC’s artificial intelligence systems process the world’s best weather data into forecasts that have been independently validated as the most accurate available anywhere (by ForecastWatch, www.bit.ly/1HHncFd). Our scalable web services deliver this information on demand for any global location, automatically configuring it to match the needs of each business and device (such as vehicles) we support. Our customers are large and small companies; we improve how they serve their customers, and make their operations more effective. For further information, visit www.globalweathercorp.com.
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Media Contacts
| INRIX North AmericaMark Burfeind
+1 206 240 3970 |
INRIX EuropeMatt Simmons
+44 (0) 20 7012 3509 |
[1]Auto Club Europa: Daten und Fakten: Unfallfaktor Witterungseinflüsse [2]ADAC Statistiken [3]DESTATIS [4]DESTATIS
