The influence of traffic on road surface temperatures: implications for thermal mapping studies

Used to predict icy stretches of road during winter nights, thermal mapping is the measurement and visualisation of road surface temperatures for road ice prediction. From its development in the 1970s, the accuracy of thermal mapping has been subject to numerous systematic and random errors. One source of error is the effect of traffic, which is known to have a considerable influence on road surface temperatures. However, as the effects have never been fully quantified, the full implications for thermal mapping are unknown. In this study, consistent temperature differences of around 1.5 °C were found across the different lanes and carriageways of a multi-laned road. The thermal differences are significant and can be directly attributed to traffic heat fluxes.