Ford is developing a digital road safety tool, which aims to foresee traffic incidents before they happen.
The Data-Driven Road Safety Tool will analyse information from connected vehicles, smart roadside sensors and local-authority data to predict the likely locations and possible root causes of potential road safety hotspots. The insights will enable cities to take pre-emptive action to address roads and junctions that pose the highest risks to road users.
Each year more than 1.3 million people are killed on roads around the world with road injuries the eighth leading cause of death globally.
“Soon every new vehicle will be a connected vehicle, and we see this as an opportunity to reduce road traffic incidents and save lives in a significant way,” said Jon Scott, Project Lead, City Insights, Ford Mobility, Europe.
As part of the 18-month project, up to 700 passenger and commercial vehicles will be voluntarily connected across Oxfordshire and London.
Ford is working alongside partners including Oxfordshire County Council, AI sensor specialists Vivacity Labs, and academics from Loughborough University’s Transport Safety Research Centre, with support from Transport for London on the project.
The initiative has received financial backing from the Innovate UK.
Vehicle owners in Oxfordshire and London can find out more about participating in the road safety trial at https://takepartinresearch.co.uk/jobs/future-driving-solutions/
