From this autumn, cars throughout the Netherlands will share information about the condition of the road with Rijkswaterstaat. For example, it must be possible to anticipate slippery conditions sooner and a better picture of the condition of the road surface is created. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management emphasizes that the information is passed on anonymously.
The information that the cars pass on to Rijkswaterstaat gives the road authority a better picture of the current state of the road network. This makes it possible, for example, to detect minor damage earlier and repair it more quickly. Previously, it was only possible to obtain this information physically through periodic measurements and inspections. Slippery conditions can also be detected in time due to the information sharing, so that gritters can start driving in the area in question sooner. A test with 15,000 cars led to positive results, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, which means that the system is now being introduced nationally.
This naturally raises questions with regard to privacy, but according to the ministry, the information is shared anonymously with Rijkswaterstaat. This only concerns the data of the infrastructure where maintenance is required. Information about the type of car does not reach the road authority. Incidentally, as a driver you do not have to do anything, the systems in the car automatically communicate with those of Rijkswaterstaat. It is not known whether you can object to this. Older cars without modern on-board communication equipment will obviously not be able to transmit this information.
In any case, outgoing Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen is enthusiastic. “This makes the road safer for road users. Technology in cars will really help us to better maintain our infrastructure.”