Skip to main content

Saphe launches next generation in-car alert at ITS World Congress

Next-generation in-car safety product Saphe, launched at the ITS World Congress, has captured the interest of the European Commission and United Nations (UN). Violeta Bulc, European commissioner for transport, has asked for a meeting in Brussels with Saphe founder Freddy Sørensen. Saphe fits in the palm of a hand and is installed inside a car’s windscreen. The cloud-based product connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone app and, for a monthly fee, warns drivers against hazards such as ambulances approaching
September 20, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Next-generation in-car safety product 8847 Saphe, launched at the 6456 ITS World Congress, has captured the interest of the 1690 European Commission and United Nations (UN). Violeta Bulc, European commissioner for transport, has asked for a meeting in Brussels with Saphe founder Freddy Sørensen. Saphe fits in the palm of a hand and is installed inside a car’s windscreen. The cloud-based product connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone app and, for a monthly fee, warns drivers against hazards such as ambulances approaching or when trains are coming to level crossings. Visiting the Saphe stand with Jean Todt, UN special envoy for road safety, Bulc commented: “This product is good. It can be used all over the world. Accidents involving emergency vehicles are a major problem, the same applies to trains. So we are going to have a meeting on how we can develop this together.”

Founded in 2015, Saphe was originally designed to warn motorists about speed cameras and accidents – and 400,000 of the first version have been sold in Denmark. The main difference with the second-generation product – which will go on sale in November – is the addition of a display “so you can tell more about what’s happening”. Saphe also alerts drivers about upcoming roadworks and wrong-way drivers, and warns them when they are close to schools at drop-off and pick-up times – as well pointing out accidents and speed cameras.

“Our goal of coming to Congress is to get cooperation and development with other countries. So, getting a meeting with the commissioner is fantastic,” says Sørensen.

UTC

Related Content

  • February 25, 2015
    New legal basis brings EU wide cross border enforcement
    Pan-EU enforcement is set to become a reality after legislation is revised. In May 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that European Directive 2011/82/EU, which came into force in November 2013 to facilitate the exchange of information between member states in relation to eight road traffic offences, had been set up on an incorrect legal basis. The regulations had been introduced under police cooperation rules on the prevention of crime, but the Court decided that the measures in the Directive do not c
  • March 15, 2019
    Asfinag makes case for ITS-G5 over 5G
    Asfinag’s Manfred Harrer and Peter Meckel talk to Jason Barnes about the organisation’s first steps towards C-ITS deployments - and why ITS-G5 will be the underpinning standard For quite a number of years, it was assumed that the connectivity required for cooperative ITS (C-ITS) applications and autonomous vehicle (AV) operations would be catered for by a bespoke communications solution/protocol. This would provide localised ad hoc communication in a manner similar to Wi-Fi, and the dedicated bandwidth/n
  • May 31, 2013
    Temporary traffic monitoring with Bluetooth and wi-fi
    David Crawford reviews developments in temporary ITS. Widespread take-up of technologies such as Bluetooth and wi-fi are encouraging the emergence of more sophisticated, while still cost effective, ITS responses to the traffic issues posed by temporary road situations such as work zones and special events. Andy Graham of traffic solutions specialists White Willow Consulting says: “A machine-to-machine radio link is far easier and cheaper than reading characters on a plate.” There can be other plusses. Tech
  • August 21, 2018
    Helsinki’s residents trial MaaS as alternative to private cars
    Would you give up your own car? Helsinki implemented MaaS late last year and Colin Sowman discovers that the initial reaction has been positive What would it take for you to give up your own car? That is the question posed by Sampo Hietanen, the so-called ‘father’ of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and CEO of MaaS Global. And he is about to discover if MaaS really will convince the people of Helsinki to do the unthinkable. MaaS Global introduced a fledgling version of its Whim app in the city in late 2016