Road-Guard develops wireless network-enabled location-based services (LBS) focusing on Fuel Economy and Driver Safety applications. Road-Guard is a pioneer of “Horizon Predictive” technology with sustainable competitive advantage that helps vehicle drivers save an average of 15 – 25% on fuel costs, contribute to environmental protection, and pay attention to critical road events in time to avoid traffic accidents.
Road-Guard develops solutions to encourage and challenge drivers to achieve very real benefits using the most innovative technologies. While some technology components are already available in current vehicle fleets, their benefits cannot be readily maximized without an advisory interface to the driver.
Road-Guard products use a patented Horizon Prediction software engine that employs a combination of sensor and digital map technology to “sense” impending road attributes and events, based on which the applications’ decisions are made and alerts or instructions given.
Our solutions are offered on four different platforms: Through mobile phones, personal navigation devices, embedded into the in-vehicle infotainment consoles, or deployed with the auto cruise control systems.
Consumers, vehicle fleets and automakers all benefit from Road-Guard solutions:
Consumers benefit from mobile driver attention applications running on their personal navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, or in-vehicle infotainment systems. Benefits include increased safety, fuel savings, and positive contribution to the environment.
Vehicle fleets reduce fuel expenditures; and self-insured fleets benefit from additional financial incentive, through safer driving programs targeted to reduce operating costs by decreasing accident rates.
Automakers can increase sales by offering greater fuel efficiency on their vehicles using Road-Guard advanced eco-adaptive cruise control solutions. Rising consumer demand for more infotainment features to be integrated with the car will be answered by integrating driver safety and fuel economy applications into in-vehicle infotainment solutions, creating differentiation and realizing profits.
Road-Guard Contribution to Health and Environmental Protection
Road-Guard solutions concentrate on factors related to “driving style” or driver behaviors. These behaviors include travel speed, acceleration patterns, and smoothness of driving, travel routes and use of cruise control.
Road-Guard provides the means to improve fuel consumption rates and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through safer and more environmentally friendly driving.
Motor vehicles contribute to reduced air quality through:
- Polluting exhaust gases, such as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons
- Evaporative emissions from fuel systems
- Particles in the exhaust gases of diesel vehicles
- Particles from tire and brake wear
Vehicle emissions can be classified into greenhouse gases (which affect the environment) and air pollutants (which affect health).
Greenhouse Gases – Environmental Effects
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an emission resulting from complete combustion of fuel. While it is not considered an air pollutant, it is considered a greenhouse gas because it contributes to global warming by preventing heat from escaping the earth’s atmosphere.
Air Pollutants – Health Effects Motor vehicles are major contributors to total emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and lead.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is formed when the carbon in fuels does not completely burn. Carbon monoxide concentrations are typically highest during cold weather, because cold temperatures make combustion less complete and trap pollutants low to the ground. Carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream through the lungs and binds chemically to hemoglobin, the substance in blood that carries oxygen to the cells. Thus, it reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the body’s organs and tissues. People with cardiovascular disease may experience chest pain and an increase in cardiovascular symptoms if they are exposed to carbon monoxide, particularly when exercising. Exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide may impair alertness and vision in healthy individuals.
Nitrogen dioxide is formed when nitric oxide reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide can cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath in children and adults with respiratory disease. Short-term exposure can also increase the risk of respiratory illness in children.
Oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds react together in the atmosphere under stable atmospheric conditions and strong solar radiation to form photochemical smog. Ozone in photochemical smog can irritate the respiratory system (coughing, irritation, and uncomfortable sensations in the chest), reduce lung function, inflame and damage the lining of the lung, and aggravate asthma.
Fine particles are a health concern because they can be inhaled into the respiratory tract and deep into the lungs. Coarse particles can aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma. Exposure to fine particles is associated with serious health effects, including premature death for the elderly and people with existing heart or lung diseases.