Number of accidents can be reduced with Raman detectors, which are fitted with lasers beneath the vehicles. This new innovative laser technique can also save lives.

‘Lives can be saved and number of accidents can be reduced by Raman detectors fitted with lasers beneath the vehicles.’

Invisible to the naked eye, hydrohalite can form on both roads and pavements, presenting a serious threat to all road users if left untreated.




To find a solution, researchers recreated the conditions under which the hydrohalite substance forms, which allowed them to test the most efficient way to combat it.
They discovered during experiments that hydrohalite can be easily detected by using Raman instruments, small devices which can identify the structure of a molecule and the presence of a substance.
Since ice and hydrohalite are very different structurally, Raman instruments fitted with lasers could therefore be installed in salt-spreading trucks and snow ploughs, allowing drivers or an automated system to identify the most appropriate method to make the ice melt.
If hydrohalite was found, the driver could then switch to a more appropriate de-icer, such as one mixed with sand and gravel, to ensure the road is completely clear and safer for road users.
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"Equipping salt-spreading trucks with Raman detectors essentially small boxes which would sit underneath the vehicles - would be a relatively straightforward solution, potentially reducing the number of road traffic accidents and even saving lives."
Source-Eurekalert