Box UK: BBC Innovation Labs Blog

Claire and I are keen to use the large and varied data sources of the BBC to provide unique, beneficial services to the end-user. One way we think we can do this is by combining and comparing (’mashing up’) the multiple sources, where relevant, to produce extra insight.

One of the avenues we’re keen to explore is how travel and weather data can be combined: how weather can affect travel/driving conditions, and therefore how a weather forecast could predict potential problems.

An obvious example of this is extreme weather: snow, heavy rain and high winds will have a noticable impact on driving conditions. But, given the beautiful conditions recently, I’ve also been wondering how sun may also be potentially included on this list of conditions that could cause problems.

As a very quick (and un-scientific) test, I’ve been checking the BBC’s road alerts XML feed this afternoon (for about the last hour, since 3pm). Specifically, I’ve been looking for the number of incidents that are ‘westbound’ (facing the setting sun) rather than ‘eastbound’. There’s little statistical significance, but the  number of westbound incidents have been consistently 10-15% higher.

I’d like to take this experiment a little further. If I have time, I’ll set up some scripts next week that pull-in and record the BBC’s weather and travel feeds, and log the data to a simple database. At the end of the week, I’ll then be able to compare and contrast various types of road incidents against the weather conditions at the time (be it rain, sun, or something else), and the time of day. Hopefully it should make for interesting analysis, and if it proves slightly significant, could be something we consider using at a more regional level as part of our work with the BBC.

*** Dan

PS For those of you tuning in to find out about the next Cardiff Web Scene meet-up, we’re finalising a venue, and should have more information early next week! Stay tuned…