Features
24 Nov 18

Autonomous driving to increase fleet safety

As the vast majority of traffic accidents are caused by human error - more than 90% in some estimates - we cannot go without considering the possibility of eventually removing the human factor from driving.

As such, most automakers are working on plans to eventually launch autonomous vehicles (AV), a growing technology which is divided into five levels. For now, AV is not meant to replace drivers but more to assist them with getting from one place to another in the safest and most efficient way.

While levels one and two AV entail advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) supporting the motorist in some aspects of driving, level 3 involves more automation but on a conditional basis, level 4 (high automation), and level 5 (complete automation).

To support the evolution, governments should work on new policies which regulate the sector. Among them are offering tax breaks and insurance discounts, as well as subsidizing businesses to stimulate AV.

Better regulation on new vehicle launches, especially those that are heavy and dangerous, is also needed, in addition to firmer control over drivers which excessive accidents, says Ernesto Pesochinsky who is the Latin America region director for Mobileye, the ADAS subsidiary of Intel.

As government policy takes time, the private sector is also crucial to helping with the next steps to reaching level 5, and Mobileye is focused on just that.

“Among the ADAS options it offers are frontal collision alerts, pedestrian and cyclist collision alerts, lane drift advisory, intelligent headlight control, tailgate distance control, and maximum speed limit indicators,” said Pesochinsky during a Fleet Latam meeting (regional arm of Global Fleet).

The company’s main products include “Mobileye 6” which offers unique camera and visual indicators that integrate well with telemetry devices and “Mobileye Shield +” which features online mapping, the company’s best solution for urban areas.

The Israel-based firm also offers “Mobileye 8 Connect” which is the company’s best option for overall fleet safety. With advance technologies firmly focused on paving the way to higher level autonomous driving, it helps drivers avoid collisions, improve their behavior in traffic, among other things.

Also present at the meeting was Kevin Woolley who is the Latam regional VP for global, telematics company, Geotab. The executive discussed ways to improve fleet efficiency and safety by monitoring vehicle location, acceleration, and engine data through the use of peripheral sensors and driver logs.

 

Authored by: Daniel Bland