Ford Is Developing Technology Which Could Predict Accidents

Ford is developing a technology in the UK that could make road travel in the urban jungle safer and easier reports the Drive in Australia. Ford's technology is said to have the ability to 'foresee traffic incidents' and present them from happening.

Ford Mobility has formed an alliance with a group of bodies that consist of councils, transport bodies and universities to create a predictive road safety tool that utilises data from local authorities, roadside sensors and connected vehicles to identify the high-risk hotspots.

Ford's technology can predict accidents

The program which is 18 months old had received its funding from the UK government. The program will collect data from 700 connected vehicles both commercial and passenger. This also includes the 100 roadside sensors, across Oxfordshire and London.

The plan is to collect data which is gathered from driver's brake or accelerator pedal pattern usage, to steering wheel angular use, how cyclists play on the roads and pedestrians alike and any near-miss incidents.

The tool not only will define the hotspots of accident-prone areas but it will also predetermine the causes that result in accidents in that zone which are defined as hotspots. It will prepare the councils of that area to take preventive measures.

The predictive solutions and improvements could include the introduction of red-light cameras at high-risk intersections. Initiatives like removal of nearby trees or the plantation on the intersection to improve the sensors to collect the data of the vehicles plying or any accidents happening could also be in the mix. They are also planning to raise the height of the signages for the drivers to have better visibility of the caution.

Ford is working with numerous parties in the UK transport sector

The insights and analysis will be used to further prove and develop the digital road safety algorithm and tool into a scalable, commercial product to benefit cities and citizens around the world, the manufacturer said in a statement.

The consortium will also seek to uncover further real-world applications for predictive road safety-related insights. Similar operations are being planned in partnership with authorities in places like Cologne in Germany, and Valencia in Spain.