Month: May 2024

For the past seven years, the Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety has commemorated the World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) with a vibrant cultural evening that engages over 2000 participants each year, including students, teachers, parents, bureaucrats, and representatives from various stakeholder departments. This event has become a cornerstone in our efforts to promote road safety awareness, featuring a unique and impactful choir performance.

Over 500 students come together to sing original road safety songs, creating a powerful and emotive experience that underscores the importance of this cause. Additionally, the evening includes poignant interactions with survivors and families affected by road crashes, bringing a deeply personal dimension to the event.

In our continuous effort to expand the reach and impact of our road safety message, we introduced a new initiative last year: a Helmet Campaign targeting approximately 50 schools in Jaipur that participate in the WDoR program. Launched in early 2023 and continuing until April 2024, this campaign has been a significant addition to our road safety advocacy.

Understanding the economic constraints faced by vulnerable support staff in schools, such as peons, guards, and maids, we identified them as the primary beneficiaries of this campaign. These individuals, often commuting daily on two-wheelers from semi-urban areas to urban centers, are exposed to high-speed highways and heavily trafficked commercial routes. Unfortunately, these roads are areas where enforcement of helmet usage is frequently lax, increasing the risk of serious injury or fatality in the event of an accident.

We distributed over 1000 helmets to these schools to address this gap. However, our campaign went beyond mere distribution. We conducted educational and awareness sessions in each participating school, where our trainers engaged senior students and support staff, emphasising the critical importance of helmet usage. These sessions were designed to inform and instil a lasting understanding of the risks associated with daily commutes on two-wheelers without proper safety gear.

The impact of these sessions was substantial. Through this initiative, we reached out to more than 50,000 students, imparting essential knowledge on road safety. By educating senior students, we aimed to create young advocates for helmet usage who could influence their peers and family members. Meanwhile, the direct engagement with support staff ensured that the recipients of the helmets fully understood the importance of this protective gear and were more likely to use it consistently.

The rationale behind selecting this specific group for our helmet distribution was twofold. Firstly, their economic status often prevents them from purchasing helmets independently. Secondly, their daily commutes on high-risk routes make them particularly vulnerable to accidents. By providing helmets and raising awareness through our orientation sessions, we sought to bridge the gap between economic constraints and safety needs, fostering a safer commuting environment for these essential workers.

Through these combined efforts, the Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety continues to make significant strides in promoting road safety awareness and education. Our initiatives not only honor the memories of those lost in road accidents but also actively work towards preventing future tragedies. By engaging a broad spectrum of the community and focusing on practical, impactful interventions, we strive to create a culture of safety and responsibility on the roads.

According to the WHO, in 2023, an estimated 1.19 million people died because of road accidents, and between 20 and 50 million more suffered serious injuries.

The human element remains a critical factor in road safety. Driver fatigue, distraction, and risky behaviours like speeding or impaired driving are all major contributors to accidents. While advancements in vehicle safety features like airbags and electronic stability control have undoubtedly saved lives, there's still a pressing need for further improvements.

The Rise of Vision-based Driver Monitoring Systems

Vision-based driver monitoring systems (DMS) utilise advanced AI and real-time edge computing through in-cabin cameras to track a driver's facial features and eye movements. These technologies are incredibly powerful, as they can track hundreds of parameters (internal and external), such as:

• Over-speeding and tailgating
• Distracted driving, including texting
• Drowsy and fatigue, including blinking or yawning
• Traffic violations, including jumping red lights, lane departures, stop signs, etc

When the system detects any of these dangerous driving behaviors, it can trigger a multi-pronged approach to improve driver awareness and safety. This may include:

• Audible or visual alerts to warn the driver (generated within fractions of a second)
• Voice messages reminding the driver to take a break or adjust their driving posture
• Vibration in the driver's seat
• Escalation to fleet managers in case of severe drowsiness or distraction

EU Regulations and the Push for Advanced Safety Features

Recognising the dangers of driver fatigue, the European Commission has taken a proactive stance on road safety. EU General Safety Regulation mandated several advanced features in all new vehicles, including intelligent speed assistance, attention warning in case of driver drowsiness, lane keeping assistance, detection and warnings to prevent collisions, advanced driver distraction warning, event data recorder, etc. 

The EU's focus on such technologies is a testament to the growing recognition of vision-based AI as a vital tool for improving driver behavior.

Netradyne, a global provider of AI-powered fleet safety solutions has Driver•i, a vision-based driver monitoring system that utilizes advanced AI algorithms to assess driver behaviour real-time.

AI-powered systems provide drivers with real-time coaching and feedback, helping them develop safe driving habits and improve their overall performance. Key features of advanced Driver Monitoring Systems include:

• In-cabin coaching: Driver•i provides clear and concise audio or visual prompts to warn drivers in case of risky driving for the driver to take corrective actions.
• Holistic view and Analytics: A comprehensive view of all the drivers within a fleet is available for safety teams to identify patterns, driving habits, key areas of improvement and whole lot of analytics that can enable them to design safety strategies.
• Positive Recognition: Driver•i not only warns drivers of potential risks, but also rewards drivers by recognizing good driving behavior. Netradyne has the industry’s driver scoring system, the GreenZone, which assigns scores based on driving indicators and helps fleet owners identify good drivers and those who require coaching.

“We have seen that fleet companies that use our solutions have significantly improved their fleet operations and safety. Writer Safeguard, a Hitachi group company in cash management, is using Netradyne devices in their cash vans to ensure utmost safety standards when transporting cash. They have observed a 50% reduction in accidents, and a colossal drop of 74% in drowsy driver instances along with a 38% reduction in distracted driving.” said Durgadutt Nedungadi, Sr. VP, at Netradyne. “And this is consistent with what we are observing with other customers.”

A vehicle that is following safe driving practices, not only ensures its own safety, but also the safety of other vehicles in the vicinity. It is a positive domino effect on the road.

Netradyne's vision is a future where roads are safer for everyone. By empowering drivers with the power of AI, Driver•i, is fostering a culture of safety within fleets around the world.

REVIWAY provides public entities with groundbreaking technology capable of performing high-quality, preventive, and long-lasting repairs of road potholes. This innovative solution recycles and regenerates 100% of the existing asphalt, eliminating the need for manual labour on the road.

The Problem:

Road potholes are currently addressed by public entities mainly on an emergency basis. Despite Europe spending €35 billion annually on road maintenance, the social costs for deaths, injuries, and damages directly related to potholes amount to approximately €18 billion.

The Solution: 

REVIWAY offers an integrated hardware and software solution that revolutionises the entire maintenance process. Leveraging a computer vision system, REVIWAY detects and collects data related to road network conditions. Their maintenance technology then enables an automated process that heats and melts the damaged asphalt, recycles and revitalises it, and finally compacts and seals the surface.

Why are they the right team to build this? 

Firas Bunni - MBA (CEO) is a civil engineer who covered different roles, such as cost control, project management and business development in multinational companies. 

Debora Megna (CFO) has joined Reviway after twenty years’ experience as a strategic and financial advisor in Deloitte.

Omar Bunni has four years’ experience in IVECO covering the roles of Manufacturing Engineer and takes care of industrial production in Reviway.

What’s exciting about the industry right now?

The field of routine road maintenance is increasingly moving towards digitalisation. Public entities are beginning to adopt a proactive management approach rather than an emergency-driven one, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in maintaining road infrastructure.

Target Collaborations and Future Goals

REVIWAY aims to achieve key milestones in business development, strategising commercialisation and marketing efforts. They seek connections with major European cities to present their solution and gather perspectives on the technology and service models. Additionally, REVIWAY is looking to partner with EU and US corporations active in machinery production.

For more information, please contact: firas.bunni@reviway.com

The Road Safety Institute (RSI) Panos Mylonas participated in the celebration of Europe Day 2024, on Sunday 12th of May, which also coincides with the anniversary of the Institute's establishment and its 19 years of action!

Throughout all these years, RSI has developed educational programmes and information campaigns aligned with the ethos and values of Europe, advocating for people's right to safe Mobility, safe access to education and employment, as well as Sustainability. Democracy is not just a system of governance but a way of life, requiring both collective and individual mobilisation to safeguard it.

At their booth in the event, visitors had the opportunity to find out more about the correct use of helmet and the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol.

At the same time, the children were able to learn about Road Safety through the Institute's experiential educational programme "Moving STARS". Moving STARS was created in the framework of a European Programme and was evaluated by the European Commission as Best Practice.

The Institute's booth was visited and briefed on its actions by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner Mr. Margaritis Schinas, representatives of various Organisations, parents, educators, and students. The public's strong interest was deeply moving.