South Korean electronics giant Samsung recently tested a simple but revolutionary idea that could help improve road safety in the future. The Samsung Safety truck makes it easier for drivers behind it to look out for oncoming vehicles on the road ahead before they overtake.
The issue the Samsung Safety Truck is trying to address is the typical example of smaller and faster cars that get stuck behind large articulated and semi-trailer trucks. On narrow roads, or single lane motorways this can cause drivers to try risky overtaking manoeuvres while blind to whats on the road ahead.
Samsung’s solution was to place four monitors on the back of the Samsung Safety Truck that would project live images of the road ahead through a connection to a wireless camera affixed at the front.
The safety trucks monitors are clearly visible even at night, giving any drivers who find themselves stuck behind a great view that helps them make safer driving decisions. The Korean company explained in a press release that the safety benefits did not only apply to overtaking situations, but in other critical driving situations as well;
“(While) 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.”
Successful Samsung Safety Truck Tests?
The Asian tech company decided to test its safety truck Argentina, a country with one of the highest traffic accident statistics in the world. Samsung provided the screen technology (naturally) and undertook the test with an Argentinian business-to-business client. The company does also have a Commercial Vehicle Division.
The willingness to bring the idea behind the Samsung Safety Truck can be interpreted to mean that the trial vehicle was a success.
If approved for use on public roads, safety trucks would at least reduce accidents in situations where passing large vehicles is involved. While future trucks could roll off the production line with the system already fitted, Samsung’s images and videos show that older vehicles could be easily retro-fitted with the technology.
In addition, the idea could be expanded to smaller trucks and vans that may still be big enough to obscure the road ahead as well as have enough space at the back for the screens. Sometimes revolutionary ideas are born off simple ideas and Samsung may have come up with one here.
For a better view of how the Samsung Safety Truck technology works, check out the video below:
In a world where corporate giants constantly always seem to chase even more returns, Samsung should be commended for investing in a technology that has the potential to save many lives. The idea behind the Samsung Safety Truck is one that could end up being a part of our daily lives in future transport and road safety.
At the time of writing, the original Samsung Safety truck used in the Argentina experiment is no longer on the road. Presumably Samsung is using the data gathered to improve the system as well as meet traffic and road regulations as stated by the company in its press release.
Time will tell if we get to see this tech in action in the future, for now, the Samsung Safety Truck remains but a concept.
