The Weather Company, formerly The Weather Channel Companies, has teamed up with Subaru of America, Inc. to launch the new Driving Difficulty Index, a new map layer that displays on weather.com’s interactive maps, available at www.weather.com/ddi. The Driving Difficulty Index is a new marketplace innovation that relies on TWC’s superior weather data and technology to provide millions of consumers with an actionable tool that will keep them safe on the roads.

The Driving Difficulty Index is a new map layer within the enhanced interactive maps on weather.com. This map layer shows potentially dangerous weather conditions and help users plan their best driving route. The Driving Difficulty Index rates road conditions on six core weather parameters: ice, snow, wet, ponding, high winds and low visibility. Then the map layer, when selected by the user, shows where difficult driving conditions are present.

“The Driving Difficulty Index is a partnership unique to the two brands, leveraging Subaru’s and TWC’s shared focus and expertise on driving safety during specific weather conditions,” said Paul Walsh, vice president of weather analytics, WeatherFX, at The Weather Company. “Using our extensive weather dataset and big data analytics capabilities, we’ve created – with Subaru – a unique planning tool that helps our users better plan their day, their travel, and even their driving route.”

In partnership with Subaru, the company will have presence in the Difficulty Driving Index map layer on all weather.com interactive maps using TWC’s proprietary ADaptor ads, which allow for national reach with local contextual relevance. ADaptor technology uses dynamic weather integration to deliver customized ads to users based on their local weather conditions, location and time of day. In addition, Subaru will also offer Car Clinic video segments and tips to help with driving in relevant weather conditions within weather.com’s WeatherREADY safety and preparedness section.

Be sure to prepare and check conditions before hitting the road with the Driving Difficulty Index from The Weather Channel and Subaru, available today at www.weather.com/ddi.
The Weather Company: The World’s Best Weather
Through The Weather Channel, weather.com, Weather Underground, Intellicast.com and third-party publishing partners, the company provides millions of people every day with the world's best weather forecasts, content and data, connecting with them through television, online, mobile and tablet screens. Through WSI and Weather Central, the company delivers superior professional weather services for the media, aviation, marine and energy sectors. The Weather Company is owned by a consortium made up of NBC Universal and the private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. For more information, visit www.weather.com/press.


About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.