Modern innovations have led to new and better ways to measure how, why and when drivers use their cellular devices on the road. These new techniques may provide a more holistic view of driver cell phone use and pave the way to a safer future in Oklahoma and the rest of the United States.
Telemetric data and roadside cameras are effective
A pair of studies were recently conducted by the IIHS, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and these studies suggest that telematics data used in confluence with roadside cameras could help fill out the picture and show researchers where and when distracted driving tends to happen. This data can help to understand these problems and plan proactively to stop car accidents from happening.
Is a camera as good as the human eye?
The first study compared methods of identifying drivers on their cell phones. When an observer uses pictures captured by roadside cameras, the results are only slightly less accurate than someone monitoring in person.
The other study indicated that safe-driver applications have grown in popularity among insurance providers because of the telematics data they collect. It’s caused these companies to think more about these types of apps and suggests they’re ready to take them seriously. Telemetrics can now show more specifics about when drivers use their phones and what they are doing to potentially prevent car accidents from happening.
As it stands, it’s difficult to solve the issue of distracted driving caused by cell phone use because of the lack of specific, reliable information of this kind. There’s hope that the combination of cameras on the road and telematics will improve the understanding of this ongoing issue.
Cameras are helpful in situations where it would be too hazardous to use human observers. These roadside cameras have proven to be effective, and they’ll likely only become more accurate and sophisticated over time. With the help of artificial intelligence, footage can be screened so that they are more selective about the data they capture and flag.
