Dashboard Cams and Augmented Reality: Technologies For Road Safety in St. Louis

In 2022, St. Louis’s roads witnessed over 7,000 car accident-related deaths. Moreover, it ranks a dismal fifth in the list of cities with the worst road safety in the USA.

With the number of vehicles on the rise, the risk of accidents looms large. In February 2023, a careless driver ran a stop sign and hit a 17-year-old pedestrian. She was in town for a volleyball competition. She was so severely hit that her legs had to be amputated.

The city demands that authorities establish new and more stringent rules and implement infrastructural changes to control the erratic nature of cars on the road. 

Conventional approaches have proven to be less successful in mitigating accidents and fatalities. Can cutting-edge technological solutions, like dashcams and augmented reality, bring a change? 

Dashboard Cameras

These compact, high-resolution cameras are typically mounted on the vehicle’s dashboard or windshield. They continuously record the driver’s view while on the road. Dash cams utilize advanced image sensors and wide-angle lenses to capture clear, detailed footage of the vehicle’s surroundings, even in low-light conditions.

A survey by PropertyCasualty360 revealed that roughly 20% of drivers in the country use dashcams. These gadgets are fast gaining traction among St. Louis drivers, who use them to enhance road safety and protect themselves from legal liabilities. 

This is especially beneficial in St. Louis, where intricate intersections and heavy traffic volumes increase the likelihood of accidents. In addition, having a dash cam promotes safer driving habits. Drivers follow traffic laws and stay focused, knowing their actions are being recorded.

Dashcams In Court: Be Ware

St. Louis falls under the comparative fault rule, where your actions can lead to reduced compensation. Dashcams record everything unbiasedly, and if you were at fault, be prepared for reduced compensation. So, you must be conscious and careful while driving. 

Missouri permits using evidence obtained from devices such as dashcams and smartphones. However, your St. Louis auto accident lawyer will first need to get permission from the court and prove that the recordings do not infringe upon anyone’s privacy. Only then can they be used to settle your case. 

According to TorHoerman Law, lawyers must be extremely well-versed in these local laws to ensure the legality of the adopted tech strategies.

Recordings for a Bigger Purpose

In addition to promoting personal safety, footage recorded by dashcams can also offer valuable insights into the factors behind accidents. Most often, the recordings have clear build-up and post-accident footage. Traffic safety experts and city planners can use them to identify recurring patterns and make specific improvements. 

Through the analysis of dashcam data, authorities can identify areas of concern, such as hazardous intersections or road segments known for excessive speeding. This valuable information allows them to devise effective strategies to minimize these risks. 

Augmented Reality

Most of us have heard of Pokemon Go. That was a game driven by augmented reality (AR). Then, we had the now-canceled Google Glasses, which enhanced the wearer’s “reality” by projecting information onto the lens. 

The idea that makes AR suitable for road safety is that the technology can map many vital car statistics on the heads-up display (HUD) in front of the windshield. The driver can soak in many critical parameters, like speed, fuel consumption, and engine temperature, without taking their eyes off the road. 

Seamless Navigation

Conventional navigation prompts, like Google Maps, can be confusing and distracting. AR enhances navigation by providing drivers with intuitive visual cues, such as overlaid arrows and real-time guidance. These make navigating seamless.

AR can also highlight potential hazards and blind spots on the destined route. For example, your AR software might trigger a blip sound when detecting pedestrians or a cross sign on the windshield when detecting cyclists!

Real-Time Weather Updates 

St. Louis is infamous for its extreme weather, with incessant rains and freezing temperatures wreaking havoc on the streets. However, with AR, real-time weather updates over the Internet can help you plan your journey. You can now anticipate and react to changing road conditions. 

If the connectivity is not an issue due to the weather, your screen can also inform you about nearby accidents. This information can be precious in treacherous weather conditions, where every second counts. 

Dual Power: Dashcams and AR 

The fusion of dash cams and AR tech is a game-changer for St. Louis road safety. Picture this: your dash cam’s real-time feed merges with your AR display, giving you instant, life-saving alerts tailored to your surroundings. 

But the magic doesn’t stop there—enter AI, the brains behind the operation. With its sharp eye for patterns and potential hazards, AI transforms your dash cam data into an intelligent co-pilot. It can predict traffic snarls and help your AR system deliver spot-on guidance. 

St. Louis streets are poised for a safety revolution as these cutting-edge technologies evolve and intertwine. Imagine a future where dash cams, AR, and AI work hand-in-hand. They could curtail accidents, keep drivers in the loop, and save precious lives. It’s not just a pipe dream. It’s a roadmap to a safer, more innovative way of navigating our city’s asphalt arteries.