Samsung has begun trials of a ‘see-through’ safety truck that allows vehicles driving behind it to view the road ahead, claiming that it could revolutionize road safety.

The so-called ‘Safety Truck’ consists of a wireless camera attached to the front of the truck, which is connected to a video wall made out of four exterior monitors located on the back of the truck. The monitors give drivers behind the truck a view of what is going on ahead, even in the dark of night.

This allows drivers to have a better view when deciding whether it is safe to overtake. Another advantage of the Safety Truck is that it may reduce the risk of accidents caused by sudden braking or animals crossing the road.

Samsung led the prototype development by providing large format display samples, and conducted a test with a local B2B client in Argentina. So far, Samsung said it had been able to confirm that “the technology works and that this idea can definitely save the lives of many people”, although it said the prototype truck built was currently not operational.

It said the next step was “to perform the corresponding tests in order to comply with the existing national protocols and obtain the necessary permits and approvals. For this, Samsung is working together with safe driving NGOs and the Argentine government.”

Explaining the project, the tech firm said: “If you’re on a single-lane highway or road, driving behind a semi-trailer truck can be a nightmare. Even though the truck is driving relatively slowly, you cannot overtake it due to its size and because you cannot see what is happening in front of the truck. However, Samsung has developed a solution that may make this problem a thing of the past.”

It said Argentina’s statistics on traffic accidents were among the highest in the world, with most of these accidents occurring on two-lane roads and particularly in situations of overtaking.

You can see a video of the vehicle via the following link: http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/the-safety-truck-could-revolutionize-road-safety/

 
Photo: Samsung's video demonstrates how the 'Safety Truck' can make overtaking easier and safer.