New Study Examines Responses to Avalanche Risk and Road Closures

Now that we have the first snow on our mountains, it is time to prepare for winter. A recent publication from our researcher Matthias Kokorsch, titled Balancing Safety and Mobility: Experience with Iceland’s SMS Avalanche Warning System, looks at how people in Iceland respond to avalanche warnings and road closures, and how these warnings affect everyday mobility and safety.

Based on a survey of 545 users of Vegagerðin’s SMS avalanche warning system, the study found high levels of trust in road-closure decisions and broad support for precautionary warnings. At the same time, the results show that living in remote regions makes responding to warnings more complicated: people in the Westfjords were more likely to continue travelling during elevated avalanche danger, reflecting their dependence on a small number of lifeline roads.

The article highlights the importance of clear, accessible warnings that take the realities of remote communities into account.

The study also points to practical ways of improving the warning system. Recommendations include clearer and easier-to-understand warning messages, better coordination across communication channels, and making warnings accessible beyond those already registered for the SMS service. Particular attention should be given to younger drivers, tourists and newcomers, including through multilingual information. In the longer term, the study recommends expanding the approach beyond avalanches towards a broader warning system for climate-related hazards affecting Iceland’s roads.

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