Upgrading information system for reporting road situation regarding snow accumulation etc. on mountain passes

Tottori Prefecture is situated in the west of Japan, facing the Japan Sea, and it is the smallest prefecture in Japan with a population of approximately 615,000. It has close associations with the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe region and the Sanyo region with respect to industrial, economic, and tourism activities. It is only via many of Tottori's mountain passes that these regions can be reached. In winter, these passes are subject to a considerable accumulation of snow. Many motor vehicles coming from the prefectures, which are either ill-equipped for snow and ice, or driven by drivers unfamiliar with winter weather conditions, become involved in traffic accidents caused by slipping or are held up by frequent traffic congestion. Due to this situation, information on road conditions at passes in winter is important, and there is a strong demand for it among drivers. The Japan Road Traffic Information Center provides this kind of information via TV and radio broadcasts or via telephone. The Tottori Prefecture Road Traffic Information Center of the Civil Engineering Department of Tottori Prefectural Government is central to the gathering of this kind of information through its road information monitoring system, which makes use of telemeters and other devices. There is a problem, however, with the current system in that the information thus provided dose not necessarily correspond to the actual road conditions. To deal with this problem, it is necessary to sophisticate and streamline information collection and transmission using personal computers. To that end, a road information collection system is to be established.