Improved Icing Detection on the Road

In the USA, accidents due to road icing cause more deaths than all other weather events combined. This includes hurricanes, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and lightning.

Black ice is especially hazardous on bridges and elevated roads because they freeze first. Even just a thin layer of ice, on any road or parking surface, can be very slippery – and very dangerous.

But there’s good news. The new optical icing detection technology from IVS distinguishes black ice from water, snow, and other types of ice by using simple, self-calibrating, multispectral measurements or a surface mounted ring resonator. These technologies can be used to monitor road surfaces, accurately detect icing, and provide early warning to drivers and maintenance crews of problems ahead.