Everyone knows that the accident on the Meida Expressway in Meizhou City claimed 48 lives. Behind every number is an unfinished story. As we explore how to avoid such tragedies, what can the National Data Agency do to prevent future disasters?
By the afternoon of the next day, the death toll had risen to 48, and the DNA of three people was still waiting to be confirmed. The accident shook the whole country.
There is no doubt that after the accident, an investigation into the cause and responsibility was launched. Highway maintenance departments in various places have also begun a series of major inspections.
However, even such a major inspection does not completely guarantee that there will be no more highway collapse accidents in the future. We have to face the harsh reality that highway collapses are inevitable, no matter what country or system is adopted.
What can ordinary people do in such a situation? What else can the government do other than increase quality inspections and increase investment in conservation? That's the question everyone is asking.
A heartbreaking account of an unfortunate victim circulated on the Internet: a family of five, who set off at half past five on the evening of April 30, and drove eight hours before encountering a landslide. The vehicle tilted at a 45-degree angle, and everyone in the car was unconscious from the impact except for the driver. Although the driver managed to rescue his son, the rest of the family were not spared due to the locked rear door and the ensuing fire.
A key detail in this description is that no one else in the car was wearing seat belts except the driver. This may be why drivers stay awake when faced with the same dangers, while others suffer more serious injuries. It is understood that the driver's son suffered a head injury due to not wearing a seatbelt and is currently receiving treatment.
This re-emphasizes the importance of seat belts. When driving or riding in a vehicle, whether on the highway or other roads, wearing a seatbelt is the most straightforward and effective way to protect yourself.
If everyone had been wearing seatbelts in this accident, perhaps the outcome would have been different. The importance of seat belts requires every driver and passenger to pay enough attention to and practice.
If the landslide had occurred during the day, there might have been more chances of survival, as poor visibility and longer reaction times at night could have led to more serious consequences. Therefore, try to avoid driving at night, especially in long distances and high-speed driving, and every driver should do strict self-discipline and planning.
In this tragedy, AutoNavi's early warning function played a key role. The navigation system is able to warn the vehicle behind by detecting a sudden drop in speed of the vehicle in front of it.
At 2:00 a.m. on May 1, AutoNavi Navigation issued a sudden braking warning on the Chayang section of Meida Expressway to remind drivers to slow down and pay attention to safety. This technique, although simple, has saved a lot of lives.
But this early warning system also exposes its limitations. It can only detect and alert vehicles using the same navigation system. If the vehicle in front is using another navigation system, the vehicle behind it will not be able to receive the warning. Such information silos greatly limit the effectiveness of early warning systems.
This begs the question: how to break down this information silo and realize the sharing of information between different navigation systems? What role can the government play here?
It is hoped that in the future the government will establish a unified platform on which all navigation systems will be required to share critical security information. This does not require a technological breakthrough, only the development of appropriate policies and standards.
In this way, whether it is a vehicle using AutoNavi, Baidu or any other navigation system, it can receive real-time information about the emergency ahead.
The government can further make use of existing vehicle monitoring systems, such as the mandatory GPS system for large trucks, to enhance road safety monitoring. These systems can be used to track the location of the vehicle,
It is also possible to monitor the vehicle's driving status in real time, such as speed and parking. Centralize this data into a central processing system to analyze road safety conditions in real time and issue early warnings to prevent accidents.
Through the integration of these technologies and policies, a more intelligent and connected road traffic safety network can be built. This can reduce accidents caused by landslides or other emergencies, and can also significantly reduce casualties due to traffic accidents.
Through these measures, we can see that although our power as individuals is limited, through the power of technology and reasonable policy design, we can greatly improve the safety of road traffic.
This is a response to the tragedy of the Mei-Da Expressway and a prevention of a potential crisis in the future. Here, everyone's life safety is the most important consideration, and the combination of technology and policy provides a feasible path.