During the last few years, those of us who like to keep up with car industry developments have gotten to witness the dawn of a very interesting new era. The strict emission standards adapted in Europe and China has even our most established car makers turning down tradition in order to secure their place in the electrification revolution. Ambitious car manufacturers are focusing their production on recyclable materials like aluminum. Asphalt in Los Angeles is even being painted white in order to reduce the heat built up on the city’s boiling streets.
And it seems these new levels of creativity and dedication are paying off: data presented by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shows how the environmental impact of car manufacturing has reduced by nearly 24% from 2008 to 2018, even though the number of cars produced has increased from 11.9 million in 2013 to 17 million in 2017. As long as car manufacturers and consumers alike stay focused on the common goal of developing a world free of fossil-fuelled transport, a greener world and a blossoming automotive industry no longer seems like an impossible equation.
These developments are incredibly encouraging, and not only because of environmental aspects. It also proves that working hard towards a common goal can produce incredibly innovative ideas. And the car industry is riddled with another issue that leaves no one unaffected: while electric cars help making our world more green, they unfortunately do not save 1.25 million people from dying in traffic accidents every year. By using the same force gathered to develop roads free of fossil fuels, we should aim to also make the world free of human-caused traffic fatalities.
This goal is what fuels us at Smart Eye. We spend countless hours and focus all of our resources on making sure future roads become not just cleaner, but much safer. At the moment, the automotive industry is unsustainable in more ways than one. The fact that one of our most common modes of transport doubles as the eight most common cause of death worldwide is a problem that demands our immediate attention. Unless we take action, road injuries are expected to have become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030.
We do not want to be just another tech company. As excited as we are to continue breaking new ground in terms of advanced, AI-based technology, our primary goal will always be to make a long-term difference by improving road safety all over the world. And we believe the path towards safer roads is paved by innovative technology.
At the end of the day, knowing that the right algorithm can mean another life saved is what really makes all our hard work worthwhile.