Session 6: Weather information dissemination in support of effective decision making

1. 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium Session 6: Weather information dissemination in support of effective decision making Thursday, July 26, 2007 Michael Steinberg Senior Vice President AccuWeather, Inc. www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com

2. Selected Private Sector Services Proactive warnings for snow and ice for highway departments Route and terminal forecasts and forecasts for the trucking industry Data and forecast systems for highway departments and the traveling public RWIS systems, pavement forecasts and thermal mapping for highways and airports Dynamic message signs on highways Sensors, cameras and decision systems for cities and highways GPS, wireless and 511 services Consulting, software and hardware systems www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com

3. www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com

4. Data Availability and Flow Federal Govt Data (NEXRAD, METAR, forecasts, etc) State/Local Govt Data (RWIS, mesonets, etc) Commercial Data (lightning, surface, traffic, radar, forecasts, etc) Private Data (black boxes, car/truck sensors & settings, etc) Govt Databases Govt Agencies (DOTs, EMAs, etc) Commercial Databases GPS, PDA, OnStar, StormHawk, etc. Commercial Traffic Private Traffic www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com

5. Barriers and Considerations Different agencies/policies/thresholds Different political/operating zones Multiple types & sources of data, variable quality Public and private data restrictions Multiple telecommunications options Concern of driver distraction Driver education Possibilities for human and machine error Privacy concerns www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com

6. Privacy Concerns Starting in 2011, automakers will be required to inform consumers if their new vehicle includes an event data recorder, or "black box". Such devices have recently come under fire from privacy advocates, as manufacturers have been somewhat less than forthcoming about information on the devices. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) will also require that any data recorder be capable of gathering at least 15 pieces of information, but stopped short of requiring that the devices be installed on every new vehicle. Currently, over 60% of new vehicles include black boxes that are triggered by the deployment of a vehicle's supplemental restrain systems. The rules require automakers to disclose in the owner's manual when a car has a black box and why it's there. But privacy advocates say they're disappointed that the rules don't limit the amount of data the boxes can record or address concerns about how recorded data can be collected or used. In New York, a defense attorney challenged the admissibility of information gleaned after police removed data from a defendant's black box before obtaining a search warrant. A judge ruled, however, that the seizure was legal and that the driver had no reasonable expectation of privacy since he'd been on a public highway and exposed his driving behavior to anyone watching. Limited tests of EDRs have indicated that if power to an EDR is lost during a crash the device may not record all data or could falsely record seat belt data. The vehicle's speed can also be recorded inaccurately if the car is airborne during an accident, rolls over or loses a wheel from the drive axle. And in at least one case, researchers discovered a programming bug that caused an EDR to falsely record brake information in a particular car model. EDR download reports now include a warning about the glitch for crash inspectors. www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com

7. 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium Session 6: Weather information dissemination in support of effective decision making Thursday, July 26, 2007 Michael Steinberg Senior Vice President AccuWeather, Inc. www.AccuWeather.com steinberg@accuweather.com