Ford trials tech to help foresee traffic incidents

TfL is backing the development of a digital road safety tool that could predict potential incident hotspots, using data from sources including connected vehicles and roadside sensors.

The Data-Driven Road Safety Tool is being produced by Ford, in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and Loughborough University.

The tool will analyse information from connected vehicles, smart roadside sensors and local-authority data to predict the likely locations and possible root causes of potential road safety hotspots. 

Ford says the insights will enable cities to take pre-emptive action to address roads and junctions that pose the highest risks to road users.

The initiative follows research into how advanced analytics and data from connected vehicles can be used to improve urban mobility and road safety.

Jon Scott, project lead, Ford Mobility, said: “Soon every new vehicle will be a connected vehicle, and we see this as an opportunity to reduce road traffic incidents and save lives in a significant way.

“By collaborating with leading innovators, experts and academics – and with the backing of Innovate U.K.– we truly believe we can help improve mobility for millions around the world.”

Llewelyn Morgan, head of innovation, Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire County Council is committed to enabling innovative applications for connected vehicle technology that will benefit our communities. 

“By connecting vehicle data with smart infrastructure, we hope this project will help improve safety for all road users.”


21 August 2020