Q: What is viatology?
Viatology is the scientific study of highways. Empirical observation and reporting of roads defines this field of study.
Q: How did this term come to be?
The term was formalised in August 2007 to establish a rigorous scientific vocabulary for infrastructure research, moving away from the insular cultures that had long fragmented early North American enthusiast circles. By replacing informal, exclusionary vernacular like "roadgeek" with structured taxonomy, the discipline shifted from a localised hobby into an empirical framework.
Q: What is the etymology behind viatology?
The term "via" refers to one of the earliest highways in western history, the Appian Way (Via Appia). As you may know, "-ology" refers to the study of something. If you notice a "t" in viatology, that's simply the conjunction between "via" and "-ology".
Q: What is a viatologist?
A viatologist is any person who scientifically contributes to the field of viatology. Viatologists can be found on each continent of the globe, practising the science in many different languages.
Q: Are there international translations for the term?
Yes. The term viatology is also ported into other languages for a similar meaning:
français: la viatologie
italiano: la viatologia
Deutsch: die Viatologie
español: la viatología
