How can the Internet of Things improve road safety?

The transportation industry is going through a significant transformation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is playing a central role in making daily transportation more efficient and secure.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is paramount to the Internet of Things (IoT). Still, the real intelligence lies in the sensor technology for data collection and the cloud to feed, sort, analyze, and dispatch the intel it gathers in a meaningful way and in real-time. The sensors and the cloud are the backbones of the IoT. That said, IoT represents a strong ally for companies managing their fleets, as it can help increase road safety. It is a valuable support in vehicle maintenance, circulation, navigation and to provide information about the weather or road conditions.

To make road transport more secure, IoT obtains its data through connected vehicles, incorporated with many sensors that communicate with the cloud, other vehicles, and devices, providing data and information of great utility to increase road security.
 

So how do IoT and connectivity technologies can help improve road safety?

• Fleet managers can monitor their fleets’ flow velocity in real-time, which makes it easier to warn drivers about speeding and other incorrect behaviors;
• Drivers can receive updated information on the road, traffic, and weather conditions, and real-time information about their vehicles' pressure and temperature of tires, fluid levels, deterioration, and battery state, decreasing breakdowns and, therefore, prevent accidents.
• It also allows to a company to reroute vehicles to the most efficient routes, immediately after the original route is blocked by an accident.
• With 5G, vehicles will be able to communicate between them in real time. The geolocation data will enable these connected vehicles to share each vehicle’s speed and position, resulting in fewer collisions and emergency braking maneuvers.

Bearing in mind that IoT and connectivity technologies offer a wide range of applications in the transportation sector to prevent road accidents, it is no surprise that the Internet of Things will become increasingly crucial for fleet managers and fleet drivers.