> Where I live we have signs up all over the place near the mountains that tell you to tune into a specific AM station when flashing for avalanche/weather information.
I live in an area like that as well, and the station broadcasts the same info you see on road signs and web sites. If the lights are flashing it's usually playing "snow tires advised for vehicles..." on loop.
the kind of situations people describe where car AM radio is essential feel like corner cases that involve lack of planning and poor judgment or really bad luck. No cell service, no portable radio in your travel kit, no way to stop and ask anyone, and you can't just turn around when you see a flashing sign? It sounds like the plot of a horror movie.
If you actually lived out in the country you'd know that there's like a dozen portable AM radios per household and that nobody ever just guesses about pass conditions. Every scenario people come up with involves a hypothetical hayseed who's almost aggressively unprepared for his situation.
This is a problem solved by a $10 Amazon purchase. Why is it such a crisis for you?
How much more convenient than a $10 Amazon purchase does access to emergency AM need to get?
Would having each new car come with a portable AM radio in the glove box be an acceptable solution? What if car AM came locked to an emergency government frequency?
From my perspective we're looking at broadcasters cooking up culture war so they don't have to negotiate with the auto industry to keep their business running, and the end result will just be increased car prices for everyone.
I live in an area like that as well, and the station broadcasts the same info you see on road signs and web sites. If the lights are flashing it's usually playing "snow tires advised for vehicles..." on loop.
the kind of situations people describe where car AM radio is essential feel like corner cases that involve lack of planning and poor judgment or really bad luck. No cell service, no portable radio in your travel kit, no way to stop and ask anyone, and you can't just turn around when you see a flashing sign? It sounds like the plot of a horror movie.