Abstract
Winter road conditions pose a serious problem to the traffic in the cold regions. We developed a new system to detect freezing as well as snow cover on roads. This system determines road conditions by measuring the microwave radiation emitted by a road and surface road temperature. The system also checks for the changes in the road microwave/surface temperature pattern and in possible road conditions. The standard range of microwave radiation for various road conditions was obtained for the experimental road surface. The proposed system was installed at the Sekihoku Pass in the Taisetsu Mountains, and it monitored the winter road conditions for one complete winter season. The data obtained by the system at the Sekihoku Pass was used to define standard ranges to distinguish between various road conditions. The accuracy of the sensor and the analyzing system in detecting the correct road conditions for an uniform road condition was more than 90 ％.
