A retrofit for lamp posts and road signs.
The base of the post has an air temperature sensor fitted.
EDIT: From [FT]'s suggestion: Alternatively, an infrared thermometer could monitor the road surface from a higher vantage point.
At drivers eye level there's an LED - blue, or amber.
When the road surface temperature drops below 3 C, the LED starts to blink.
Drivers will see the blinking LED well in advance of arriving at a stretch of road where black ice may be present - before onboard systems can detect the problem.
Add a low power RF transmitter, and the vehicle can detect alerts from sensors out of line of sight.-- 8th of 7, Nov 24 2016 Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins KCMG, DSO, MC https://en.wikipedi.../wiki/Colin_GubbinsEponymous creator of the "Gubbins" demolition charge. [8th of 7, Nov 27 2016] Oh dear ... we have accidentally deleted [MB]'s annotation ... please reinstate ...-- 8th of 7, Nov 24 2016 Och, it was probably only something about Sturton, just go look on the Interpol website.-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 24 2016 I was merely pointing out that [8th] has recently posted quite a flurry of caring, helpful, safe ideas. This is most disconcerting, and ought to be checked before it gets out of hand.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 25 2016 Ditto, can't quite get to grips with a mellow Borg....firmware bug?
I'll just have to double for him for a bit <cracks knuckles>-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 25 2016 Go on, give it your best shot. Something anti-cat would be good.-- 8th of 7, Nov 25 2016 I like this except all of the electrcially powered gubbins. Also "gubbins"; not sure I am using the term correctly.
What is needed is a reflector containing water configured such that freezing changes the reflectance. No powers. Like Batman.-- bungston, Nov 27 2016 Worryingly, that's probably practical...
// "gubbins"; not sure I am using the term correctly. //
<link>-- 8th of 7, Nov 27 2016 Neat idea. But it should be adapted to the country. Lampposts tend to be located near roads that get plowed (ploughed) and salted, whereas country roads often don't have lampposts.-- the porpoise, Nov 27 2016 //air temperature// sp "ground". You may miss certain kinds of black ice (bog standard rime) if it's just air temperature.-- FlyingToaster, Nov 28 2016 Noted.
A non-contact infrared thermometer mounted higher up the post could measure the actual road surface temperature.-- 8th of 7, Nov 28 2016 I like the reflective non electric version. The electric version reminds me of fancy throwies. Throwies are an LED with a magnet on it. they can be photovoltaic.-- beanangel, Nov 28 2016 /1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 73 Hough you hungerstarued gubbins or offalles of men, how thriue you?/
Wikipedia on Sir Colin Gubbins made me think that although his name is funny, the man himself seems to have been pretty serious.
8th I find no mention of his eponymous demolition charge. I therefore charge you with adding to his Wikipedia article to make mention of this.-- bungston, Nov 29 2016 <HAL9000>
"I'm sorry, [bungston]. I'm afraid I can't do that."
</HAL9000>-- 8th of 7, Nov 29 2016 hmm "eponymous" yes, "distributor of how-to's" yes, "creator" arguably not.
I think you're conflating him with a contemporary whose name escapes me - RE probably - who spent WWII inventing some rather mad weapons.-- FlyingToaster, Nov 29 2016 Millis Jefferies ? Stuart Macrae ?
No, we think not.
There were a number of notable individuals working* in the "mad weapons" area in WW2. We are quite sure of our facts. That they may not be readily available through public sources is irrelevant.
* "Work" is probably a misnomer. They experimented with explosives and other highly dangerous devices on a regular basis, and received payment.
However, they would very likely have been doing exactly the same thing in the absence of (a) payment and (b) a war, and in all probability did not think of their day to day activities as "work". Trust us on this.-- 8th of 7, Nov 29 2016 //Millis Jefferies ? Stuart Macrae ?// both of which also fit the bill. Probably Jefferis. Carry on.-- FlyingToaster, Nov 29 2016 Could also incude a "DO NOT LICK THIS LAMPPOST" warning-- smendler, Nov 30 2016 Hungry dogs would soon learn that by urinating on lamp-posts they can raise the temperature of these lamp-posts thus making drivers unaware of the icy road conditions and causing fast-approaching frankfurter trucks to skid out of control, overturn and spill their loads.-- hippo, Nov 30 2016 that hippo can find the Achilles heel in any scheme!-- bungston, Nov 30 2016 If only the Titanic had been so equipped.-- not_morrison_rm, Nov 30 2016 random, halfbakery