Source: forbes.com
While our growing dependencies on mobile phones stand to threaten road safety and increase rates of distracted driving, other technology innovations can work in safety’s favor. Developments in 5G networks, autonomous vehicles, and artificial intelligence are poised to transform the way we drive and the safety of our roads.
5G will have a positive impact on road maintenance with faster data collection creating new possibilities around automation. Today, road crews have to physically go on-site to inspect a problem and determine what next steps are required. But through new video and sensor data, road maintenance crews will receive alerts of life-threatening hazards faster than ever. Connected vehicles equipped with dash cams will generate crowdsourced footage of potential debris and other hazards so that crews can act fast to alert drivers in the area and find safe solutions. Sensors on smartphones can produce similar insights already and offer insights in the interim. In addition to this, departments will be able to rank the urgency of various jobs by analyzing data from each location.
According to a report, 94% of vehicle accidents in the US involve human error and are potentially avoidable. With autonomous vehicle technology especially, there’s the potential to essentially eliminate human error from the risk equation, decreasing the number of collisions and improving overall road safety. To achieve full autonomy, the onboard computers on self-driving cars need to make use of cameras and radar sensors to generate a 3D view of the vehicle’s surroundings. One of the challenges to this lies in getting the information needed to make split-second decisions in real-time. Eventually, 5G and artificial intelligence will be leveraged in tandem to give these vehicles a more accurate view of the road, making cars more functional and safe.
Artificial intelligence is also ushering in a new chapter for smartphones. Even though most of us don’t realize it, artificial intelligence is powering many of the features on several mobile apps today. These include Map apps, as well as virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Cortana, and Siri. With mobile apps running telematics in the background, drivers gain access to the latest technologies in driver safety, artificial intelligence, and 5G in a single device. Drivers are also able to use voice commands to look for gas stations, perform internet searches, and communicate with friends and family instead of physically using their phones while driving. Even more, artificial intelligence paired with telematics gives drivers access to real-time information on fuel usage, vehicle location, driver behavior, and speed.