VIDEO: Is the new Samsung safety truck system encouraging impatient drivers?

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News broke last week that the South Korean technology giant Samsung had been piloting a new ‘safety truck’ system on the roads of Argentina. What is this new system I hear you ask?

Not much, actually. All that is needed is a wireless camera on the front of a semi-trailer truck which links back to a video screen at the end of the truck, theoretically enabling drivers at the rear to better judge the situation ahead, and whether it is safe to overtake.

But is this new system going to take off? It certainly looks an interesting idea, but there are questions whether this is going to encourage impatient drivers to continue to overtake. And remember, despite the video technology acting as a guide, the person behind the wheel in the vehicle behind still has to make that judgement call about speed, distance etc and it does not eliminate human error, although it could conceivably help reduce accidents.

Argentina’s statistics on traffic accidents are among the highest in the world, with most of these accidents occurring on two-lane roads and particularly in situations of overtaking. With this in mind, Samsung developed a technology for trucks that seeks to enrich the lives of people through innovation. But more than that, this time the goal is more ambitious: to save lives.

How Does it Work?

The Safety Truck consists of a wireless camera attached to the front of the truck, which is connected to a video wall made out of four exterior monitors located on the back of the truck. The monitors give drivers behind the truck a view of what is going on ahead, even in the dark of night.

This allows drivers to have a better view when deciding whether it is safe to overtake. Another advantage of the Safety Truck is that it may reduce the risk of accidents caused by sudden braking or animals crossing the road.

Samsung led the prototype development by providing large format display samples, and conducted a test with a local B2B client.

Next Steps

 Currently, the prototype truck built is no longer operational. So far Samsung has been able to confirm that the technology works and that this idea can definitely save the lives of many people.

The next step is to perform the corresponding tests in order to comply with the existing national protocols and obtain the necessary permits and approvals. For this, Samsung is working together with safe driving NGOs and the government.

Have your say

So what do you think? Is the new system going to be a trucking innovation and a road safety game-changer? Or is it a gimmick that is going to be yet another distraction on the motorways around the world?
 

Have your say in the comments below or alternatively tweet us your thoughts @SupplyChainD.