MOTC to Use Google Earth for Planning a Safe Journey

After being the subject of many controversies and security concerns, Google Earth is finally finding some true admirers in the academic field. The Institute of Transportation under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in China has developed which will help the drivers to identify the dangerous curves in the road. The institute has taken the help of Google Earth for this job.

Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. Since Google Earth was launched, users have been exploring our world and creating content overlays (KML files) to share their explorations with others.

According to a report in China Post, the officials of the institute stated, “Google Earth is free and offers satellite images from the bird's-eye view, much more realistic compared to regular maps, which only provide street names. So we are combining the benefits of Google Earth with our newly developed program to display different accident-prone sites.”

To maximize safety while travelling, users can download the system along with Google Earth, which is freely available, provided your internet connection can withstand the high degree of bandwidth usage by this application. The application alarms the motorists about the dangerous curves even before they get there and tries to avoid fatal accidents. The new system will be accessible with PDAs (personal digital assistants) or cell phones.

The Institute of Transportation has released some statistics which state that some areas like Minchuan West Rd. and Chunde Rd., Wanta Rd. and Mengchia Blvd. in Taipei are highly prone to accident. This partnership with Google can reduce the number of accidents in those areas as well as other areas all over China.

Almost a third of the system has been completed now and the institute will shortly include the National Police Administration's data into the system

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