Sofia Sollén's research has led to data from private vehicles beeing used at national level.
13 January 2026
New research enables private cars to inform the Swedish Transport Administration about road conditions
Every metre you drive generates data. This winter, the Swedish Transport Administration can use that information to monitor road conditions, thanks to research conducted at Luleå University of Technology.
From the 2025 winter season onwards, the Swedish Transport Administration will use data transmitted from ordinary modern passenger cars. This allows the agency to see the actual road conditions along different stretches and use the insights to follow up and improve road maintenance.
On average, 43 million friction observations are generated every month by vehicle sensors; vast quantities of data that must be collected, analysed, and processed to provide an accurate picture of road contitions. Sofia Sollén of Luleå University of Technology has spent several years interpreting and validating the data. That it can now be used by the Swedish Transport Administration is a direct result of her research.
"I have developed algorithms enabling us to extract information from enormous data volumes and carried out field tests to validate the information we receive from the cars. It is very gratifying that the research is now being put into practical use," says Sofia Sollén, who recently earned her doctorate in Experimental Mechanics at Luleå University of Technology.
First in the world to use data at national level
Manufacturers have already been able to use data from private vehicles to share icy-road warnings with other cars of the same brand. Sweden is now the first country in the world to use vehicle data at national level.
"We have found ways of combining data from different manufacturers, different internal systems, and weighting it. For example, information from braking events that trigger a car’s ABS is highly reliable. Other systems can provide earlier coverage of slippery conditions over a wider area, but with greater uncertainty," says Sofia Sollén.
Potential to improve measures
At present, data from Volvo Cars and Volkswagen is being procured and used by the Swedish Transport Administration. This winter, the information will primarily be used to follow up anti-icing operations, including improving understanding of the effectiveness of different measures. Sofia Sollén sees further development opportunities ahead.
"When we are able to detect slippery conditions in real time, there is potential to use the information proactively for winter maintenance. This would enable more efficient use of resources and reduce accidents," says Sofia Sollén.
- The doctoral thesisMonitoring Tire-Road Friction using Connected Vehicle Data
Contact
Sofia Sollén
- Doctoral Student
- 0920-491282
- sofia.sollen@ltu.se
- Sofia Sollén
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