We offer the article “The connected car, peace of mind behind the wheel and outside of it” written in Spanish by Lourdes Martínez, Senior Communication and Marketing Specialist of Net4things on Blog SERNAUTO in English here.
The connected car, peace of mind behind the wheel and outside of it
• In addition to drivers, the connected car also has advantages for road safety, companies and public administrations.
• Vehicles manufactured before 2005 can benefit from the benefits offered by connectivity by installing an IoT (Internet of Things) device.
One of the biggest concerns of drivers is that their car is safe. This concern is stronger in owners who have older vehicles and the average age of vehicles in Spain is 13.5 years old according to a report by ANFAC, the Spanish Association of Car and Truck Manufacturers. This figure will increase due to economic uncertainty and the rise of inflation, which makes it difficult for many families to buy a new vehicle. Given this scenario, having the car connected will give us greater peace of mind, by offering valuable and instant information on driving behavior and vehicle data.
An affordable connected car solution
If the vehicle is not new or was purchased more than 5 years ago, it is most likely not connected. For that car to be a connected car, an IoT (Internet of Things) device must be installed in its OBDII port. This device sends all the information generated to a mobility analytics platform such as the one we have at Net4things to manage, analyze and exploit the data collected. This data is transformed into insights by applying a layer of advanced intelligence to it. All this allows us to detect patterns in the behavior of drivers, identify anomalies in real time and extract trends from users.
The mileage, position and location of the car, the history of the journeys made and the breakdowns that the car may have, are some of the key data points provided by a connected car solution. For example, in the event of a sharp turn, collision or accident, the driver receives a call from the emergency services to find out how the driver is doing. If you do not respond, the emergency protocol is activated, and the emergency services will receive the vehicle’s location to assist you as soon as possible.
At the same time, this solution issues an impact report with relevant information of the accident site, the speed of the vehicle before, during and after the collision and the vehicle’s driving time, among other things. With the prior authorization of the owner of the connected car service, the police can access this information and present it as legal evidence before the judge, for example, to speed up the processes in the clarification of claims.
Benefits for public administrations
This solution, which is compatible with vehicles manufactured before 2005, helps public administrations, security forces and emergency services to streamline their processes, locate vehicles more accurately and quickly attend those affected.
It also enables to be better informed about the movement of vehicles, anticipate new trends, optimize routes, or detect damages in the road due to sudden turns or braking of vehicles that compromise the safety and efficiency of the road.
In this way, it helps prevent accidents, which is one of the SDG objectives (Sustainable Development Goals) to improve the life of society and reduce the environmental impact.
Another of the great advantages of having connected vehicles is that the mobility flow of vehicles (private use or fleet use) can be measured to acquire detailed information on their circulation, for example, in low-emission zones for towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants.
Advantages for companies
The connected car solution enables companies to have access to anonymized mobility data to implement new business models by creating new products and services that improve mobility and the user experience in cities. With that data, they can make smarter, faster, and more efficient decisions by getting instant insights into what is happening in real time.
Likewise, it activates participation in projects with other companies, promoting public-private collaboration by providing innovative solutions, sharing knowledge about the inflexibility of some legislation, and creating laboratories with start-ups to validate proposals. This has caused companies from other industries to enter the mobility sector, a market that has accelerated tremendously in the last two years. In the same way, it introduces these companies to the automotive industry by providing new technologies for the development of new services, products and infrastructures to offer the user safe, sustainable and comfortable trips.
To increase security and generate greater trust, public-private companies enrich their data with anonymized mobility data. Relevant information to know which vehicles travel faster on the road, in which sections there are bumps or in which suburban areas there are more users of electric cars to increase recharging points and online payments for it. In this way, new use cases are emerging that strengthen customer relationships by offering them services they need and demand.
Useful for users and their loved ones
Users will have greater security while driving knowing that the connected car provides an SOS system. They will be aware of the journeys they make daily and monthly or the average speed at which they drive during these journeys. In short, they will be more aware of their driving behaviour.
With all this, the connected car allows administrations and public bodies to manage mobility issues directly with a more exact approximation of what happens in reality, providing greater security and peace of mind to all users.