Oct 20 2010
A study was carried out to determine the condition of the various roads in UK. To serve this purpose, a Mercedes car was integrated with vibration and noise sensing devices and was driven across the country by a renowned motorist and chef, James Martin.
The sensing devices installed in the vehicle monitored the vibration and noise resulted by potholes and irregular surfaces of the roads. This data were then subjected to mapping employing satellite navigation technology.
A heart rate monitor was also fixed to the motorist and constant swabbing of the mouth was performed to identify the level of cortisol, a stress hormone produced in the body. The cloggings, the number of bends and the fluctuations in the inclination of the roads were also considered for evaluation. According to Martin, the A82 road was good since it was natural and actual and that the noise and vibration in the road lead to an exciting drive. The second as well as the third ideal roads were found be the A537 Cat & Fiddle and the Devil Punchbowl’s A3, respectively.
The less favorable second and third roads were the Spaghetti Junction and the M8 Glasgow leading to Edinburgh.
The most noisiest and uneven road was identified as the A74 starting from Lanarkshire to Kirkton generating 80db noise per route. The study was performed by Mobil 1, a man-made motor oil company.
Source: http://www.mobiloil.com