Road safety platform TRL Software has partnered with incident detection software Flare to improve its mapping of incidents among vulnerable road users.
Both companies aim to offer more detail and granularity to an area of research that has historically relied on self-report survey evidence and incomplete hospital and police records.
The partnership will provide TRL with access to Flare’s extensive network and historical logs of road safety data in the micromobility sector.
Flare’s Chief Commercial Officer Charlie Wilson told Zag Daily that the company’s algorithm is able to map incidents in real-time through sensors on a device or vehicle.
“With years of extensive testing, Flare knows when telemetry readings from these sensors indicate that the user has been involved in an incident; anything from a crash or fall to a pothole,” said Wilson.
With hundreds of thousands of users in more than 180 countries, the company partners with many food delivery companies, such as Deliveroo as well as micromobility operators, such as Tier.
“There is an increasing prevalence of micromobility operators and reliance on smaller vehicles for last-mile delivery,” said Wilson. “Flare’s world-leading software and analytics gives invaluable insight into this world.”
Flare’s data will enrich TRL’s Integrated Management and Analysis of Accident and Program (iMAAP platform), which will allow TRL to provide more detailed and extensive safety data.
This will then be used for research, technology development and consulting to reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities.
Wilson said the partnership will help micromobility development in cities. “We can also work with local authorities to provide valuable insights into road safety and infrastructure,” said the executive.
The lack of reliable and consistent safety data is one of the main challenges for the micromobility industry. In the UK, the Department for Transport’s (DfT) National evaluation report of the e-scooter trials cited this as a key challenge to assessing their long-term viability.
Around the world, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) highlighted this issue in a recent report. Micromobility operators in Paris have proposed an independent observatory to generate relevant data.
Subu Kamal, TRL Software’s Head of Product Management, said that many of the improvements to road safety seen in the UK in recent decades have been made because of TRL’s work, including child seats and reduced speed limits in built-up areas.
“We are excited to partner with Flare to add further expertise to our world-leading range of road safety products and services. For customers, this partnership means Flare’s data and insights will be available through TRL’s iMAAP platform – meaning they can be used by iMAAP customers directly or by TRL specialists to provide more detailed insights and analysis.”
