17 March 2020

We don’t know when the risk is there; we are only humans.

Collage of images on humans and cars

Imagine that you would receive immediate feedback on what level of safety and energy efficiency you are driving. What if a smart, safe and stable ride would give you, let’s say, sharply reduced insurance premiums at the end of the year? Or that your smooth, focused driving with the rental car is immediately rewarded with bonus points to be used for something fun or tasty during the trip. Or even better, make the car rental cost cheaper. At the same time, a risky, stressful driving behavior would not pass unnoticed.

This is the reality for those who use AI-powered driving analysis in their cars today. They gain real-time insights and feedback on their driving behavior at such a level no human or human calculation ever could have the capability or capacity to give them. And they gain not only insights into how they drive but also get promoted when they do it well and safely.

Until most recently, this was impossible, even for Artificial Intelligence to achieve. AI needs to be trained for years on real driving data, information and driving situations to maintain such knowledge at such precision. By connecting our AI into vehicles and smartphones, we have contributed to making drivers around the globe drive much safer. We know using AI-based real-time assessment is unbeatable and one of the most empowering road safety activities one can conduct. I will explain why it’s so.

As humans, we need to understand the fuller picture, or we don’t seem to get it otherwise. As when we have an app telling us how we behave when it comes to walking, drinking, exercising, and even how we sleep. The daily result per se doesn’t tell us so much. But when we get the summary from, let’s say a whole month, we get the perspective needed to understand that changing just a little bit on the margins will make us reach our aim. It nudges us to try a little bit harder, improve ourselves step by step, all in all, to gain results, and feel much better in the long run.

That’s how we know that the same goes when it comes to real-time driving assessment. When starting to use it, it’s hard to stop. You want to be the brilliant and safe driver you always thought you were and remain so. Driving without such services leaves us with a feeling of being empty-handed. When starting to be aware of any potential danger and risks, who can ever go back to driving without actually knowing if putting oneself and others to danger? It’s like not using the seat belt, even though you know it is excellent protection. Deeply embedded in our DNA, we all want to stay safe and protected. That’s why we want to know what’s going on. We’re only humans.