How can thermal imaging help improve car safety?

Night vision assistance: At night or in low light conditions, thermal imaging technology can detect people or animals in the dark. By embedding algorithms and connecting to display screens, thermal imaging equipment can also calculate distance. When people or animals appear within the calculation range, the equipment can issue a close-range warning to help drivers drive safely and avoid collisions. Some data indicate that due to insufficient light during nighttime driving, drivers’ judgment of the traffic environment will decrease. A survey by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) shows that the probability of traffic accidents at night is more than three times that of daytime.

Driving in adverse weather conditions: In conditions of low visibility such as fog, smoke or heavy rain, thermal imaging can provide clear images to help drivers identify roads and other vehicles.
Louisiana, USA, has experienced severe foggy weather. On October 23, 2023, a major traffic accident occurred in the state due to heavy fog, causing a chain collision of at least 158 ​​vehicles, resulting in 7 deaths and 25 injuries. It is reported that the local foggy weather mixed with the smoke from nearby fires to form a “super fog” with extremely low visibility. In some places, visibility dropped sharply to less than 10 feet (about 3.048 meters), seriously affecting driving conditions. If the car in use uses equipment with thermal imaging technology, the occurrence of accidents can be greatly reduced.

Pedestrian and Animal Detection: Thermal imaging cameras can detect the body temperature of pedestrians and animals, even when they are not easily visible to the naked eye or ordinary cameras. The sensors inside thermal imaging cameras are very sensitive to infrared radiation. These sensors can detect small temperature differences and convert these temperature differences into electrical signals.