Bus is involved in accident in Madrid. Could it have been avoided?

An accident in Madrid has had a bus as its protagonist . The event affected an elderly couple, who suffered injuries of different kinds. Due to the lack of adequate systems, the driver did not see the position of the two people. What exactly happened? How can we avoid this type of situation?

The problems of lack of visibility

This event occurred on Tuesday, February 2 on the Gran Vía in Madrid. Although it was not serious, two elderly people were injured by a bus from the Municipal Transport Company. The couple received several blows while they were waiting to cross a zebra crossing. At that moment, the bus passed too close and hit them.

The result was that the 68-year-old woman suffered facial trauma and the 67-year-old man suffered moderate head trauma. Given this damage, the latter had to be transferred by ambulance to the Gregorio Marañón Hospital , where he was admitted in serious condition. His partner was treated at the same place of the accident and was later transferred by health workers from Samur-Civil Protection to the Clinical Hospital.

Given these facts, the Police launched an investigation to clarify the events . In this sense, the information from the witnesses present and the traffic cameras were essential to reconstruct the events to understand what happened. In addition, despite the fact that the driver of the vehicle did not suffer physical damage, he had to be treated by a psychologist.

As you can see, this is an unfortunate accident. The couple was waiting to cross the pedestrian crossing and the bus passed too close , so close that it hit them. Given the size of the vehicle, it is sometimes difficult to see what is on the sides or rear . In fact, there are dead spots that cannot be checked, which is dangerous. However, if the vehicles had the appropriate technologies, these situations would not be news.

Currently, there are security systems that provide very valuable information to the driver. An example of this would be to provide assistance based on artificial intelligence. Thus, his senses would be expanded, which would improve his performance and prevent various accidents. But what do these systems consist of?

The ADAS system

One of the solutions that you can install on a bus is the ADAS system , a set of algorithms based on deep learning that warn the driver when danger is detected. Its main objective is to improve safety in buses and other heavy vehicles thanks to artificial intelligence. To do this, it has sensors and cameras to detect pedestrians, control the distance from other vehicles or if it is in the right lane.

To give you an idea, the pedestrian detection system (PCW or pedestrian collision warning ) would have been very useful to prevent the previous accident. This type of solution is tremendously effective in avoiding a collision, as it is capable of locating pedestrians in front of the vehicle and generating a visual and acoustic signal on the dashboard. In this way, if the driver does not notice your presence, the system will always be vigilant. It will issue a warning with enough time for it to react and be able to make the appropriate decisions to prevent a possible tragedy.

The BSD system

For its part, the BSD system focuses on real-time detection of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in blind spots. As in the previous case, the driver has an artificial intelligence that assists him while driving . It gives you real-time information about what's happening in critical areas you can't see properly.

A good example is the sides of a large vehicle. Despite the mirrors, the driver does not get to see everything that happens on the side . In the middle part blind spots are formed in which vision is impossible. If a pedestrian or a car were to be in this position, they could not be seen, so it would not be possible to act in time and avoid an accident.

In addition, the system can be adjusted according to the needs and characteristics of the vehicle . For this, the installation of infrared sensors will be essential to determine the position of other road users. Thanks to them, it will be possible to calculate your position in real time to reduce the chances of a collision.

It also features machine learning and artificial intelligence technology, allowing it to more accurately determine dangerous situations . With the accumulated experience, it will be able to improve its performance, something that will help the driver at all times.

The system distinguishes between two action zones. The first is intended for possible risks and displays the image in real time with a yellow box surrounding the target, such as a pedestrian. When the second is reached, it emits sounds in the driver's cabin and a visual warning signal . In turn, the detected object is marked in red, since the risk of impact is considered too high.

In this way, any nearby pedestrian, cyclist or vehicle in a blind spot will be detected in time . The driver will have all the information he needs to make the right decisions. For example, in the event of this news, the combination of ADAS and BSD would have detected the pair in advance. At first when they were at the front of the bus and then at the sides with deadlock.

In short, despite the fact that the accident in Madrid did not have fatal consequences, it could have been avoided with the appropriate technological solutions. Thanks to the implementation of the ADAS and BSD systems, you have the possibility of minimizing the risk of causing an accident of different severity. In this way, drivers will have real-time information on what is happening near the vehicle. This will allow them to take the necessary actions early enough to avoid serious problems.

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