Engineers create graphic in-car crash warnings for motorists

How would you like it if an automated voice inside your car warned you, "You would die if you crashed at this speed right now" or a similar type of caution? It could soon be coming to a car dealership or automobile store near you.

Japanese engineers have developed a graphic in-crash warning system that uses sonar and laser sensors, along with computer calculations, to determine any potential hazards the driver may be approaching. It also takes into account the driver's previous history and reaction times on earlier trips. According to New Scientist, engineers at the Fukuoka Institute of Technology in Japan have created a system they are calling a "safe driving promotion system" that warns drivers what type of crash would occur if they do not slow down. The Fukuoka Institute of Technology has developed this product in partnership with UD Trucks, also based in Japan. The warning system, which has been described giving "graphic warnings", might tell the driver the impact of a crash, whether or not it would be fatal, cause whiplash, or other results of specific types of accidents. Recombu reports the warnings could possibly include phrases such as “you would die if you crashed at this speed,” or “your car could burst into flames if it rolled over here,” or perhaps “dear God you're going to kill us all!” The warning system is currently patent-pending; the application explains the project in more detail. The developers feel that explicit warnings may make a driver think twice as they are on the road engaging in possible perilous situations. "Further, by informing the driver of the extent of the damage to be caused by the collision, a sense of danger will be awakened in the driver that makes them voluntarily refrain from dangerous driving," the warning systems creators predict.