Participants in a Penn State study of three web-based, statewide, roadway weather information systems rated Maryland’s website, http://www.chart.state.md.us/mapping/chartmap.asp, the easiest to use for trip planning.
Pennsylvania's road weather web site, at http://www.dot.state.pa.us/ , was ranked second by the study participants. Ohio's website at http://www.odotonline.org , which has since undergone an overhaul, had the lowest ease of use rating.
"Sites were rated lower if they required several mouse clicks to obtain information. Study participants said the capability to specify an origin and destination on an initial site map would greatly enhance site usage," said Paul Jovanis, professor of civil and environmental engineering, who oversaw the study.
The authors of the study, "Usability Study of Statewide Web-Based Roadway Weather Information Systems," said that public awareness of web-based, roadway weather information systems is low. "While only 7 percent of the respondents surveyed indicated using a web-based road weather information system previously, 63 percent said they would use one of the ones evaluated during the study before making a trip and, presumably, more people would use the systems if they were made easier to use."