Samsung’s latest technology to improve safety on the roads
FNC Automotive Editor Gary Gastelu on some of the latest technology in cars and trucks.
Samsung wants to put huge video displays on the back of trucks.
No, this isn't some bizarre entertainment-based initiative designed to make the lives of trailing drivers less stressful by screening a selection of TV shows to help pass the time, though thinking about it, that might not be such a bad idea.
Instead, Samsung's idea focuses on improving road safety, particularly along two-lane roads where impatient drivers can make poor choices when overtaking slow trucks in front.
The technology involves fitting a wireless camera to the front of the truck that provides live-view imagery to a giant four-screen display -- Samsung made, of course -- fitted on the back.
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The setup lets a trailing driver clearly see what's coming the other way, enabling them to make a more informed decision about whether to overtake or hang back.
The Korean tech firm points out that the system could also help reduce the risk of accidents caused by sudden braking and other erratic driving maneuvers by the vehicle or vehicles traveling in front.
The so-called Safety Truck is only a concept design at this stage, though the technology is obviously already well established for the idea to become a reality. Indeed, the Korean firm seems serious about moving ahead with implementation of the system, revealing that it's currently working with various relevant organizations to carry out the required tests to secure governments' approval.
The video above shows Samsung's Safety Truck in action in Argentina, a country where on average someone dies every hour in a road crash, with many accidents the result of reckless overtaking.
Of course, road safety is bound to improve dramatically with the eventual introduction of self-driving cars, as well as vehicle-to-vehicle technology that's expected to be incorporated into cars and trucks much sooner, but in the meantime Samsung is determined to show how its own existing technology can be used right now to make the world's roads safer.