Injuries, Death and everything in-between, all because of an ignorant decision. Road traffic accidents are a global crisis and are one of the leading causes of death. Who is to be blamed? The blame game is always obvious, within a flash things can go terribly fatal. People between the ages of 5 and 29 and third leading cause for people between 30 and 44. With the number of vehicles rapidly rising in developing countries, this epidemic is quickly worsening in low and middle-income countries and is on its way to becoming the third leading cause of death and disabilities by the year 2020 (WHO 2000). The losses in road traffic accidents are enormous in economy and health related issues. Families having accident victims shatters with death and the victims seriously injured often needs medical facilities for the rest of their life and eventually becomes a burden to their family. Road traffic injuries are burdening health care systems in countries around the world. Low and middle-income countries suffer from a significant percentage of preventable deaths and injuries from road collisions in these countries.

According to Bob Joop Goos, chairman of the International Organization for Road Accident Prevention, “Road danger is a man-made crisis, with human error accounting for over 90 percent of accident”

 

Here are some of the facts:

– 1.3 million road deaths occur every year

– More than 50 million people are seriously injured every year

– There are 3,500 deaths a day or 150 every hour, and nearly three people get killed on the road every minute

– The number of traffic fatalities will rise by 67 percent over the period of 2000-2020, 68 percent in the Middle East and North African region and 144 percent in Southeast Asia

– Middle and low-income countries to see an increase in traffic deaths of 83 percent by 2020

– Europe and other high-income countries to decrease traffic deaths by 27 percent over the period 2000-2020.

– The UN goal is to halve the number of road victims by 2020

– $3 trillion (USD) is the cost of road crashes every year

ALL OF THESE ARE GLOBAL FIGURES!!!

 

SOLUTIONS?

Innovation is one such thing that can make unbelievable things happen. But how does creativity and innovation cater to such a serious problem and more importantly, how does it help change the mindset of people?

Well, here are a few methods that are introduced to create awareness and save lives:

 

Samsung see through truck:

Samsung, a tech giant has made astounding news by introducing a revolutionary truck that enhances safety standards. In the name of safety, this truck has made this prototype truck that consists of a wireless camera that is attached to the front of the truck and is connected to a video wall made out of 4 exterior monitors that are located on the back of the truck. The monitors help drivers behind the truck view what’s going on ahead even in the dark of night. This helps avoid fatal accidents.

 

Solar Roadways:

 

iPhone Anti –Sleep Pilot App:

Smart phones have really overtaken the smartness of most drivers. Claiming a large chunk of the blame when it comes to preventable car accidents due to individual texts or calls while driving. Introducing the iPhone anti-sleep pilot, an app that gauges the drives fatigue level using the manual inputs and synchronizing with the phone’s GPS. This can be customized for different drivers. This app requires the driver to occasionally tap a button that pops-up at regular intervals that gauges the fatigue level of the driver and recommends driving breaks when appropriate, a process which helps prevent the driver from falling asleep at the wheel.

Anti Sleep Driving Alarm:

Worried that you don’t have an iPhone?

You can still have an anti-sleep alarm gadget. The simplest types are worn around ear and detects when the head tilts more than 30 degrees. An alarm sounds directly into the ear that jerks the sleepy driver awake. It is a great gadget for keeping drivers from nodding off on long trips and preventing car accidents. Prevention is definitely better than cure in this case. Your phone thus becomes your guardian in disguise.

 

Bluetooth Car Kit:

This innovative kit helps you overcome the hassles of calling and texing while driving. The kit hence lets you do this safely by routing calls automatically so that you never use your hands. One of the best reviewed Bluetooth car kits is the Motorola Roadster 2, which not only allows you to make and receive calls hands-free, it also allows you to text using voice activation. It clips to the visor so it’s out of the way but still strategically placed. This kit is compatible with most cell phones, but some features are only available for Android phones, such as the Car Finder App. This gadget is a good way to multitask safely.

 

 

 

Rear Camera:

Rear cameras aren’t considered a luxury anymore; this is becoming a safety measure in pretty much all cars. This is because approximately 57% of drivers that use a backup camera or rear camera avoided backing over stationary objects placed behind the vehicle. Backup cameras reduce the blind zone by roughly 90% on average, in turn reducing the chances of collisions.

 

Lane Departure Warning System:

This mechanism is designed to warn the driver if the car begins to move out of the lane, until the indicator is on in the direction of arterial or freeways. This system is effective in minimizing accidents as it addresses the primary causes of collision- drowsiness, distraction and drive error. The system is forward-looking and vision-based systems that runs on algorithms to interpret the video images to estimate the vehicle state and road alignment. This system applies torque to the steering wheels and steers the vehicle back in the lane boundaries.

 

Here are a few creative advertisements that have been raised in public awareness to inform, educate and warn the public on the risks of rash driving: