This mobile phone could save your life

Stuart Corner
Monday, 28 May 2007 10:29

Business IT - Technology

The project is part of Oki's involvement in the "New IT Reform Strategy" announced by Japan’s Cabinet Office to develop technologies that can reduce the number of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. The government and private sectors will start large-scale trials for systems to improve pedestrian safety from the fiscal year ending March 2009, with plans to start operations from the fiscal year ending March 2011.

"We focused our attention on leveraging mobile phones, since they are used by over 80 percent of the population in Japan," said Masao Miyashita, president of Systems Solutions Company at Oki Electric Industry. "Our goal is to improve the safety of vulnerable road users including pedestrians and those on bicycles. We plan to develop products in line with the New IT Reform Strategy and to work closely with car manufacturers to develop applications to improve safe driving and improve safety for pedestrians."

However it's hard to see the technology working satisfactorily in busy urban environments, where the danger of pedestrian collisions is greatest and the coverage of GPS worst. It would seem likely that the close proximity of vehicles and pedestrians would generate so many potential collisions as to make the system ineffective.