OCR Text |
Show Editorial . . . Highway Patrol Road Condition Service Good The initiation of the Utah Highway Patrol's road conditions service in the Richfield office is a service which is greatly needed and is already proving its worth to motorists. With the communications network of all agencies centering with the patrol, it is only natural that this would be the logical place to have such a service originating because of the availability of compilation of information from throughout the area. There were two reasons the service was initiated. First, because the patrol's concern for the public is more than just to give speeding tickets as many people believe, and the other is that individual phone calls to the patrol and other agencies involved with travel and roads was keeping personnel away from vital, immediate duties to answer questions by telephone. Realizing the need of providing such service, however, the patrol could see a way of providing this service without tying up their officers on phone calls. The system is relatively simple. The dispatcher on duty compiles information from troopers, Department of Transportation offices and motorists as to road weather conditions, then records this information on two telephone units which were recently installed. As the conditions change, a new recording is made to update the information. A new telephone number was assigned by the telephone company which, when dialed, triggers the recordings and the person hears the dispatcher's recorded report of road conditions throughout the southern Utah area. The biggest problem will be to educate the public to call the number - 896-4474 - when they want road information. We feel the patrol has gone an extra step in helping the traveling public, which is their primary aim in all their activities and assignments, and giving a much needed service for people in the area. |