Ford Eyes GSP Fleet Tracking for Accident Detection/Prevention
A groundbreaking research project by Ford Motor Company and Auburn University shows that technology similar to that used in GPS fleet tracking systems can “talk” to cars and could help prevent serious accidents.
Researchers found the potential for a GPS fleet tracking satellite to act as an early-warning system that detects when a vehicle is about to lose control. It then communicates with the vehicle’s stability-control systems and other safety features to prevent a rollover or other serious accident.
The project is part of Ford’s $4 million investment in university research programs in 2009, including 16 safety projects. Auburn University’s GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory received a three-year, $120,000 grant from Ford in 2008 as part of company’s University Research Program.
The research team is investigating the use of combining GPS fleet tracking technology and inertial measurement units’ data to provide precise information on a vehicle’s motion. The data could be used to improve performance of a vehicle’s electronic stability control system, a computerized technology that improves the safety of a vehicle’s stability by detecting and minimizing skids.
That’s a great application for the GPS vehicle tracking technology we’ve come to know and love. But until it’s widely available, you’ll just have to settle for all the other great benefits of real-time GPS vehicle tracking. Here are just a few:
- Increase Employee Productivity: Log in securely online to see when employees take extended lunches, make unnecessary trips home and run errands on your time. If you gain 30 minutes of productivity per employee per day, you’ll save more than $900 a week in payroll that was previously wasted.
- Cut Fuel Costs: Gas is expensive, especially when your trucks get just 10 to15 miles per gallon. A GPS tracking system makes it easy to slow your drivers down and burn fuel more efficiently. A 20% increase in fuel economy occurs when drivers go just 10 mph slower. A fleet of 25 trucks that averages 150 miles per vehicle per day will save close to $1,100 a week in fuel charges alone. Annual savings? More than $50,000!
- Dispatching Gains Extra Business: This aspect of GPS fleet tracking really helps companies that operate service businesses. View all your drivers in real time on a familiar Google map and dispatch your closest driver to a service call. If you answer one more service call per driver per day, how much additional service revenue could you expect to generate? One of our customers reported additional service revenues of $4,500 per month!
As for accident prevention, you might want to educate your drivers about the dangers of texting while driving.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.