FORD TO INTRODUCE LOCAL HAZARD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Ford remapping can help the efficiency of your vehicle in the long run, but did you know Ford are working on improving other technologies too. The car manufacturer has announced plans to introduce Local Hazard Information Technology to 80 per cent of its new vehicles build in 2020. This will work by installing a modem as standard into each new car. Local Hazard Information Technology means that information about bad weather, road traffic accidents and traffic jams will be transmitted to the vehicles’ dashboard allowing the driver to decide what they would like to do to avoid any problems that arise. This information will be collected from other connected road users, emergency services and the authorities and collated to create useful messages for drivers. This differs from current apps that require manual input, and instead will collect the information automatically in order to create the alerts for road users. Joerg Beyer, executive director of engineering at Ford in Europe, said: ‘What makes Local Hazard Information different is that it is the cars that are connected – via the Internet of Things. ‘There is no reliance on third party apps. This is a significant step forward. Warnings are specific, relevant and tailored to try to help improve your specific journey.’ It is expected to be popular among road users who want a better idea of what is around the corner while on their journey, though it will cost road users £60 a year to access, plus VAT.