A Giant TV on the Back of Semi Trucks Could Make Passing Safer

Samsung wants to put more TVs on the road. Trying to pass a semi-truck on a two-way, one-lane road can easily lead to a deadly head-on collision, since it’s almost impossible to see around a semi without inching out into the opposite lane. Samsung’s Safety Truck would make drivers safer by allowing them to see past tall trucks through a television attached to the back of the semi. 

The Safety Truck comes equipped with a front-view camera that provides a peek at what’s ahead for any driver stuck idling behind the truck. A wall of four television monitors hung on the back of the semi connects to a wireless camera attached to the front. The live feed from the camera shows what the driver of the truck sees, allowing drivers behind to make decisions about whether or not it’s safe to pass the slower semi, both during the day and at night.

Driving is one of the most dangerous activities in the world, killing or injuring up to 50 million people throughout the world each year. The Safety Truck project was developed with Argentina in mind, where lots of one-lane highways with little passing room make for dangerous driving conditions. The country has one of the highest driving-related fatality rates in Latin America. 

The Safety Truck looks like a no-brainer for anyone interested in making roads safer. But there will likely be some obstacles to putting it into action. The system will need to take into account changing visibility conditions (for instance, when driving toward a low sunset), and Samsung hasn't announced how much it would cost truck owners.

So it isn't clear how soon this concept could get out on the road. “Currently, the prototype truck built is no longer operational,” the company announced on its blog Samsung Tomorrow, stipulating that, “So far Samsung has been able to confirm that the technology works.” The technology company is teaming up with road safety non-profits and the Argentinean government to go through more testing and attain the proper permits for the product. Until then, be careful in the passing lane.