Adjuster Toolkit

Roof Monitor

A wireless sensor installed on a low slope rooftop promises to monitor water and snow loads, according to Brad Beldon, owner and founder of the Roof Monitor and a third-generation roofing contractor.

Although Beldon started working on the product in 2002, it wasn’t released until earlier this year.

“Whether you’ve got a clogged drain that water is building up or if you’ve got snow, we can measure the density of the load and transmit that data in real-time through our controller to the end-user,” Beldon says.

The monitor can be used for both residential and business.

“It can be used for anything with a low slope. It can be used on a steep slope, we just have to write specific algorithms for that project; we’re trying to keep it on low slopes for the time being,” he says.

The monitor comes equipped with a UV stabilizer and is resistant to most weather elements. In addition, it has a battery life of a little more than two years, although the UV stabilizer can last 10 years. Building owners can check battery life daily, according to Beldon.

“Every day you get real-time notifications of the battery status in increments of one to six. When it gets into its last 15 percent or 16 percent of its life, you’ll know that. You’ll know it’s about time to think about replacing it,” he says.

The monitor has been in beta testing in San Antonio, Texas, and in Boston. The proof of concept was completed with the University of Texas in San Antonio.

“Our goal is to prevent business interruptions and roof collapses,” he says. “We’re not going to eliminate the need to remove snow, but what we’ll be able to do is to identify whose building is at greater peril than somebody else’s based on the structure itself.”

Online Access to Auto Accident Records

Automobile accident reports from police departments across the United States are now accessible through Carfax’s accident reports service, Crashdocs.org. Insurers, lawyers and other interested parties can order accident reports from all 50 states and the District of Columbia through an online site.

There is no cost to create a Crashdocs.org account, and there are no added fees from Carfax to order the accident reports online.

For more information, visit www.Crashdocs.org.

State by State Look at Graduated Driver Licensing Laws
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, young drivers have higher crash rates. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs provide teen drivers driving experience while controlling their environment. Programs usually include three stages:

• Learner Stage: supervised driving, cumulating with a driving test;
• Intermediate Stage: limiting unsupervised driving in high-risk situations; and
• Full Privilege Stage: a standard driver’s license.

The types of restrictions under a GDL program vary by state, the GHSA reports:

• Nighttime Driving Restriction: 48 states and D.C. restrict nighttime driving during the intermediate stage.
• Passenger Restriction: 47 states and D.C. restrict the number of passengers during the intermediate stage.
• Novice Driver Decal: New Jersey is the only state with a measure requiring those younger than 21 without full-privilege licenses to display a decal on their vehicle identifying them as new drivers.