NDOT reminds drivers to sign up for 511 road alerts in advance of winter driving

Courtesy Nevada Department of Transportation

With winter driving coming in the months ahead, the Nevada Department of Transportation is encouraging drivers to sign up for e-mail and text alerts for their own frequently-traveled state routes.

Launched in 2006, the 511 Nevada Travel Info service allows motorists to dial 511 toll-free, 24 hours a day or log onto nvroads.com for automated state road conditions, on-line traffic cameras, roadway weather information, scheduled event road closures, construction updates and more. Out-of-state callers can dial 1-877-NV-ROADS to receive the same information. With Nevada law prohibiting use of handheld devices while behind the wheel, NDOT asks motorists to dial or log on before driving.

The system’s “MY511NV” feature allows drivers to sign up to receive text or e-mail messages regarding roadway chain requirements, weather, incidents, events and construction on their most-traveled routes. To sign up, users simply log onto nvroads.com, select the “My511 NV” link and register to receive customized reports for state roads of their choice. The alerts are free, excluding text message fees imposed by individual phone carriers.

Since debuting in 2006, the 511 service has received more than four million calls. The corresponding nvroads.com website is also widely used, with approximately two and a half million individual users since 2013.

The service is funded in part by revenues from NDOT’s roadside logo sign program.