New Technologies Making Us Safer and More Secure

The latest regulations requiring active safety features in new vehicles is just one example of how technology is impacting our safety and security. In our latest blog we review what this means and consider other ways in which technological advancements are increasingly employed.

We live in an age of rapid technological development. The information age started in the mid 20th century when electronic systems and devices, including the transistor and micro-electronics, were developed. Information technology is now deeply embedded in our lives supporting everything including the vehicles we drive, security scanning, the tools we use and increasingly clever healthcare equipment.

Driving Law Changes to Improve Road Safety

Are you aware of new rules regarding active safety features in new cars that came into force from July 7th? Rules for new vehicles include systems designed to improve road safety.

Up to 90% of all road traffic accidents involve human error. The most common causes of road traffic accidents in the UK are:

• Driver or rider error or incorrect reaction. For example, manoeuvring dangerously at junctions and sudden braking.
• Driver or rider failed to look properly. Using mirrors and dealing with blind spots are essential for safe driving.
• Driver or rider behaviour or inexperience. Learner drivers and inexperienced drivers account for a significantly high percentage of road traffic accidents.
• Injudicious action. This term describes collisions that occur due to poor judgement, speeding, failing to regard road signage, signals and road markings.
• Driver or rider carelessness, reckless behaviour or in a hurry. Being in a hurry contributes to many unfortunate incidents.
• Driver or rider failing to judge another person’s path or speed. Failing to correctly assess another road user`s intention or speed, for example at junctions, is another significant cause of road traffic accidents.
• Impairment or distraction. A leading cause of driver or rider impairment is alcohol. Impaired vision and being distracted by devices, such as mobile phones, can also cause avoidable accidents.
• Road environment. The condition of our roads is another cause of accidents.
• Loss of control. Drivers and riders must always remain in control of their vehicles. This includes driving at a safe speed and keeping hands on the steering wheel or handlebars.
• Poor turning or manoeuvre. Manoeuvring and negotiating junctions is another recognised factor in many incidents.

As of July 2024, the EU’s ‘New Vehicle General Safety Regulation’ amend the minimum performance standards, commonly known as `type approval`, for motor vehicles in the EU. These standards now require all new vehicles to have Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) installed.

Advanced driver-assistance systems are technologies that help drivers with the safe operation of a vehicle to improve car and road safety. These systems use sensors and cameras to detect nearby obstacles or driver errors and automatically take action. Since the vast majority of road traffic accidents involve human error, minimising the likelihood and impact of these errors is good for road safety.

Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) is an example of advanced driver assistance technology. This system recognises speed limits and helps drivers control their speed, enabling them to concentrate on the road. While the driver remains entirely responsible for ensuring speed limits are always adhered to, ISA technology can detect the current speed limit and automatically adjust a vehicle’s maximum speed to remain within speed limits.

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is another example of ADAS. These systems have been a common feature in many new vehicles for some time. The AEB system will start braking automatically if a collision is imminent and the system has determined that the driver is not taking any action or is not responding quickly enough.

Research has shown that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in 20% of road collisions and up to around 25% of fatalities. Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW) systems are designed to combat this risk by warning drivers when its no longer safe to drive.

Lane Keep Assist (LKA) systems are another example of powerful Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. This clever technology can detect when a driver changes lanes, either intentionally or unintentionally. If a potential collision is detected and the driver doesn’t respond in time, the emergency lane keeping assist system can actively countersteer the vehicle back into its original lane to avoid the accident.

 GSR2 (General Safety Regulations 2) were first applied as phase one back in July 2022. At this stage additional technical features on new vehicles became mandatory. As of July 2024 GSR2 requires that all new cars must have these systems fitted as standard. A future third phase of General Safety Regulation change (GSR3) will apply only to buses and trucks.

Around 60% of drivers who already have ADAS fitted to their vehicles have a positive view of the technology, saying they feel safer. But around 14% found their ADAS irritating or distracting. Since almost 90% of UK road traffic accidents involve human error, avoiding these errors, or minimising their impact by using technology, makes sense.

Identifying Drivers Using Their Mobile Phones

A road safety project, that started back in 2021, is undergoing wider roll out to more UK police forces. Vehicle mounted technology has been trialled by police forces to detect whether drivers are using their mobile phones or failing to wear seatbelts.

 National Highways have stated that there were plans for the trial to be extended and for the technology to be fitted to gantries, providing unobstructed views of highway lanes. Drivers, distracted by their mobile phones, and driving without seatbelts, are key factors in many incidents in which people have been seriously injured or killed. In Australia, where this detection technology was first used, the number of drivers identified for using their mobile phones dropped dramatically by a factor of six.

The possibility of being automatically detected and identified for using a mobile device while driving, or driving without a seatbelt, is a powerful deterrent so the technology is expected to make our roads safer.

Remote Detection of Hidden Weapons

The UK Government is making significant investment in the research, development and evaluation of new technologies which can detect hidden weapons. Although there have been calls to increase the use of stop-and-search powers, the technological ability to remotely scan people for hidden knives, guns and explosives is recognised as a major step forward.

Live Facial Recognition (LFR) systems have already proved to be very effective in identifying people guilty of a wide variety of offences including rape, robbery, fraud, grievous bodily harm and possession of class A drugs. The use of LFR is strictly governed by data protection, equality, and human rights laws.

New mobile phone based technology is expected to enable police officers to effectively scan people for hidden weapons, as they walk down the street. Early tests have demonstrated how the system is able to detect hidden knives from a distance of up to six metres, even when concealed under heavy clothing. This capability avoids the need for unnecessary stop-and-search challenges and improves the safety for both the public and police officers.

AI In Healthcare

Its anticipated that over the forthcoming 10 to 15 years AI (artificial intelligence) technology will support a shift from the current reactive model of healthcare to a proactive, preventative model. The vast amounts of data that can be captured by smart phones, wearable technology and other IT systems, can be effectively used by AI based technologies to uncover hidden patterns and inform better, personalised healthcare decisions and treatment plans. The reliability of healthcare systems is a key factor in how safe and secure people feel.

AI powered smart phone applications are already used by many people to monitor their blood pressure and provide help in effectively managing their conditions. And AI is widely embedded into NHS systems to improve the care delivered and the experience of patients.

Examples of AI already used in NHS systems include the analysis of X-ray images. The AI supports radiologists in making accurate, speedy assessments that get results back to patients quickly. The technology frees up radiologists, giving them valuable time they can spend with their patients. It enables the efficient analysis and treatment of many more patients, minimising waiting lists and speeding diagnoses.

Another similar AI application in NHS healthcare is the analysis of brain scans. The use of AI reduces the time it takes for patients to be treated and therefore provides a better quality of care.

AI is also increasingly used to support the remote treatment of patients in their own homes, avoiding the need for hospitalisation. Remote monitoring applications that assess patients’ health and guide their treatment, are already freeing up overstretched NHS resources.

An easy-to-use smart stethoscope that can help doctors detect heart failure earlier has been undergoing trials. Research has compared the accuracy of AI powered smart stethoscopes with results derived from standard echocardiogram analysis. The smart stethoscope correctly identified patients with heart failure 9 out of 10 times. Importantly, this clever technology can avoid the need to refer patients to busy hospital echocardiogram departments and provides doctors with immediate, actionable results.

AI technology is also able to support the determination of whether people who attend A&E with suspected heart attacks have had one. Around just 1 in 10 people who go to A&E with a suspected heart attack are found, upon examination, to have had one. AI technology effectively uses a collection of data including the subject’s age, sex, time since symptoms started, other heart conditions and standard blood measurements. Combining this data with blood measurements that measure heart damage, the AI system is able to successfully and accurately identify those who have actually suffered a heart attack, and those who have not.

AI based medical technologies are becoming increasingly important in all aspects of healthcare, as well as healthcare management. Systems are able to accurately identify diseases earlier and determine the most effective treatment programmes for each individual patient. They are also capable of improving healthcare efficiency by reliably predicting future healthcare needs.

High quality, cost-effective technology-enabled healthcare is set to be a vital aspect of what it takes to enable the NHS to cope with future demands.

For more information on New Technologies Making Us Safer and More Secure talk to Insight Security