3147: How Cambridge Mobile Telematics is Making Roads Safer with Technology
How can technology revolutionize road safety for the 1.5 billion drivers on the road today? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Hari Balakrishnan and Bill Powers, co-founders of Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s largest telematics service provider. Their unique partnership—blending Hari’s engineering genius, honored with the 2023 Marconi Prize, and Bill’s entrepreneurial prowess as an “atypical tech CEO”—has built a unicorn company dedicated to making roads safer. We explore how CMT’s AI-driven platform, DriveWell®, leverages sensor data from IoT devices like smartphones, dashcams, and connected vehicles to provide a unified view of driver behavior. By collaborating with insurers, automakers, and the public sector, CMT not only assesses risk but actively incentivizes safer driving behaviors, reducing crash rates by up to 20% with some partners. Hari and Bill also delve into the challenges of addressing "phone distraction," which contributes to nearly a third of crashes, and the paradox of advanced safety tech not correlating to fewer accidents. They highlight the importance of improving infrastructure for connected and autonomous vehicles, refining human-machine interfaces, and developing solutions that protect vulnerable road users outside of vehicles. As we unpack the story of how an “odd couple” with complementary skills created a global leader in road safety, we’ll also look to the future of mobility and the transformative role technology will play. What does the next generation of driving safety look like, and how can we all contribute to making the roads safer? Tune in to find out, and share your thoughts on the evolving landscape of mobility.