Nissan and Japanese highway operator West NEXCO have collaborated on an expansive and expensive "IT-assisted road information system" to warn drivers when they are traveling too fast on an exit ramp or driving in the wrong direction on a highway. Apparently, Japanese roads don't feature large signs with speed limits or the words "WRONG WAY."
The prototype is part of Nissan's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), a souped-up navigation system that uses GPS data, detailed maps, and advanced telematics to give drivers almost as much information as they can gain by opening their eyes. Previous Goldberg-worthy ITS concepts include a pedestrian detection system that relies on signals sent from the cellphones of jaywalkers, a "road cam" remote video service that gives drivers real-time pictures of upcoming stretches of highway, and a "slip alert" map that shows where other Nissans lost control on icy roads.
We're all for in-car telematics that help drivers avoid otherwise unseen dangers, but any driver who needs a computer to alert them they're driving the wrong way just might be beyond help. That's why it might be better to use the Nissan system as a warning for other drivers.
According to a press release, a spate of wrong-way accidents caused by confused senior citizens in Japan led to Nissan's latest addition to ITS. The wrong-way alert relies on detailed maps which show the direction of traffic flow on ramps and highways. When the GPS determines a driver has entered oncoming traffic, a series of audible and visible warnings would let the driver know he or she was about to meet an untimely end without a swift U-turn.
Aside from the specific intent of alerting drivers that their directional abilities are slightly worse than those of Douglas Corrigan, we're not sure how Nissan's system differs from a conventional GPS. After all, it wouldn't take much programming to turn the current warning of "Make a legal U-turn" into "Holy crap! You're going the wrong way! Get off the freakin' road!" Their press center is offering to take journalists on a wrong-way drive down a Japanese highway to demonstrate how well the system works, but we think our life insurers might want us to skip out on that junket.
What would be beneficial is if Nissan's ITS communicated with oncoming traffic to let them know a wrong-way driver was on the loose. An automated Bluetooth-enabled 911 call might also alert the authorities who could put down spike strips or close off the road. We've had close encounters with headlights speeding toward us on closed-access highways, and we've also seen the aftermath of wrong-way collisions. Such experiences are unforgettable at best and tragic at worst. If deployed correctly, Nissan's technology could help wrong-way crashes become less frequent even if the driver isn't deterred by giant red signs or electronic warnings.
Photos courtesy Nissan.
