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TheConnectedcargreatersafetyatthewheel

The connected car: greater safety at the wheel

One of the most worrying aspects when we travel or go to a place by car is having the certainty that we arrive safely at our destination. For the trip we can either use our own car, rent one or use a shared mobility vehicle for hours or days. Whichever option we decide on, that vehicle should guarantee that we arrive safely, and that is exactly what having a connected vehicle does, which guarantees greater safety at the wheel.

Let’s start by clarifying what the connected car is and how we can connect our own car in order to see the differential value of having a connected vehicle for drivers and their families.

What is the connected car?

The connected car is a vehicle that has an internet connection. Thanks to the connectivity it has, it can give us information on its status and the behavior of the driver in real time. The car can already be connected through the manufacturer, or it can be connected through a dongle-type device that offers connectivity to the vehicle through a SIM card. This device is auto installed in the OBD II port and usually has a gyroscope and GPS location.

Among the information the dongle offers us, we can highlight:

  • The ignition and shutdown of the car, very useful to know if it has been stolen.
  • The location of the car, useful for example for when we leave it in a shopping center and don’t remember the exact place where we parked it so we find ourselves going round and round. Also, in case of a storm like Filomena in Madrid we can know at what kilometre of the road we abandoned it.
  • Breakdowns or failures of the vehicle in real time so we can take it to the workshop knowing exactly the car diagnosis, speeding up the repair process and the time we are left without the vehicle.
  • 112 emergency services in the event of a collision or impact, where they call you to find out how you are doing. In the event of no response, the emergency protocol is activated.

Given these services, having a connected car provides greater security and speeds up driver assistance processes. As we mentioned, when the emergency protocol is activated, the State security forces and bodies rush to the scene of the accident to clarify what happened and take measures to calculate the speed of the vehicle, the distance travelled, the attitude of the driver at the wheel, changes to the “X, Y, Z” axes, etc. This information is crucial to know what really happened.

The Net4things platform on which the Movistar Car product is based issues a forensic collision report with relevant information on the vehicle’s speed before, during and after the collision. It also shows the distance travelled by the car, as well as the data of the vehicle and driver. This report provides transparency and veracity about what happened. A vital piece of evidence that Movistar Car clients are presenting in the current lawsuits that are open.

In addition, in the application the user obtains a driving score generated by our algorithm by combining speed data, sudden acceleration, smooth handling of the steering wheel, fast turns, etc. With this feature, we want users to be more aware of their driving behaviour and try to improve it on their next rides.