Implementation of sensor technology to reduce car accidents, traffic congestion, energy burden and cost
Version 01-02-2004
Press releases at that time: EU wants to reduce the death toll by car accidents with 50% in the coming years.Truck kills toddler and injures other kid and mother. Father kills 3 year old son whilst backing up. Personal history:The 911, Ground Zero, of my life was a skull base fracture at age 5 being hit by a van and a subsequent flight of 30 meters,before my head hit the street, Vught, 9-11-1964. Benigna (same DOB, class mate in seventh grade) broke her neck crossing the street on her bike in Arnhem the day before our bicycle traffic exams. My cousin Pieter Ferdinand ter Steeg + his daughter, aunt and mother in law were killed by racing drivers in Australia in a frontal collision. Anna Enquist’s daughter was killed in the dead angle of a truck making a right turn. The car damage I ever caused was by alcohol (after 1.5 glass of wine on an empty stomach) and fatigue (I hit the opening rear door of a just parked car in Stockton when I was very tired after a long driving from Los Angeles) Every day people are unnecessarily killed or injured in car accidents despite that the technology is there to prevent any car accident. The army, more expensive car brands or nature already have systems in place. Even a tick can use an “Infrared detection system” to find his victim, why don’t we to prevent hitting our victims? It is just a matter of willingness to implement and with a nearly immediate return on investment. The traffic department of our ministry was against subsiding the implementation of sensor technology. It was considered too leftish.
Analysis
A quick and dirty analysis of the cause of car accidents identifies the car driver as the main risk factor. Male (age-group 18-24) and/or drivers under influence are high risk groups. Victims are mostly pedestrians, kids and cyclists. Current solutions are not aimed at prevention but are mainly aimed at protecting the car driver by reducing the impact of a collision to the driver:
- safety belts, cage
- ABS
- deer fence
- increased weight (more fuel consumption and air pollution)
No active prosecution of car drivers who do not give pedestrians, cyclists right of way at e.g. a cross-over. Car drivers accept a very costly insurance system. The cost of insurance during the lifetime of a car equals or can exceed the cost of a car. In Italy it is even worse.
What if we focus on the cause and help the car driver in not making accidents or reduce the impact of accidents?
Preventive measures:
- infrared detectors in dead angles
- radar (Jaguar), cheap infrared lasers (Vincent Icke, NRC) to automatically keep distance
- ultrasound (Mercedes) to prevent collisions
- Green (Belgium) or blinking (Toyota) extra brake-lights
- Global positioning system:
- to sense other cars, to safely pass, drive in mountains
- automatic speed limitation, no tickets
- remote cruise control
- Ultrasound to detect holes in the road, objects
- make cars lighter
- automatic safe “zipping”, lane changes
- alcohol, other drugs, sleep sensors- communication
- mobile telephones signal for positioning and to signal traffic jams
- interacting chips
- sensoric chips of 38 airbags of Mercedes communicate to maximise protection (let cars communicate to zip in rush hour, etc., )
- disabled pedestrians/cyclists can wear a bracelet or necklace with RFIT chips and or buttons to let car drivers stop
- use traffic information channel on radio to warn drivers for emergency cars, etc.
Automatic speed limitation (cruise control, remote via satellite, GSM, etc. )
- Recent survey 41% already in favour- Abolishes speed bumps which cause damage to cars,
Likely results:
> 80% reduction in casualties, > 90% reduction in insurance premium (2010 Inshared (Achmea) returns money, if claims drop and the company promotes sensor technology) (2002: further rise to 1500 Euro p/a, Italy even worse) Light weight cars, 1/3 or less fuel use, hydrogen or electric powered car.No traffic jams, smooth zipping, passing. Protection environment (increased chance to stop the Flood). Need clean car (hydrogen + solar panels): no air pollution, unlimited travelling, speeding for all, conditions permitting? Happy few: Car “Privium” programme in rush hour; Car under remote control allows driving of the disabled (drunk, elderly, sick, …), protection of the weak, having breakfast + reading newspaper under rush hour; Stepwise implementation: Existing cars: Near direct implementation possible of cheap infrared lasers, mobile phones as sensing systems, extra-brake lights, ultrasound detection, etc. Use law or reduction in insurance premium to stimulate implementation. Redesign new cars to implement an effective package. Immediate pay-back via reduced insurance premiums to the individual, health and environmental benefits to society.