MEDIA RELEASE: WindsorEssex Economic Development
WINDSOR, ON., January 21, 2021 – The City of Windsor is the first municipality in Canada to sign an agreement with Ford Smart Mobility Canada Company to access Ford Mobility’s “Safety Insights” platform. Ford Mobility is a business line within the Ford Motor Company that works with cities to better understand their unique challenges and then design targeted solutions that help improve the quality of life for residents.
Ford Mobility’s award-winning Safety Insights tool enables cities like Windsor to streamline what can be a costly and time-consuming process of accessing and analyzing transportation data. By integrating this data into Safety Insights and supplementing it with simulations and solutions based on industry-standard best practices, cities can spend fewer resources on crunching data and focus on helping to improve the safety of their streets.
Safety Insights leverages crash data and connected vehicle data around near misses to identify safety hotspots and also helps simulate the estimated impact of potential mitigations. Safety Insights combines local collision data with aggregated data from connected Ford vehicles (such as driver assist data related to forward collision warnings, harsh braking events, and more) to understand where there may be emerging safety concerns – before they become collision spots.
Additionally, the platform can help cities simulate the impact different solutions may have on addressing the safety issues identified. Safety Insights not only provides potential solutions to identified problems, but also offers tools to help quickly calculate cost-benefit trade-offs of implementation and impact on crash reduction.
This collaboration leverages the long-standing relationship Windsor-Detroit companies have developed through more than a century of supply chain management. It is another example of the innovation being utilized locally to ensure public safety. The collaboration is for a one-year pilot and will be funded through the Windsor Essex Economic Development’s FedDev grant for Automobility Ecosystem building.
QUOTES:
“The City of Windsor is proud to collaborate with Ford Motor Company to pilot new and innovative automotive technologies. Our collaborations will bring about safer roads and more efficient traffic planning for the City. Testing these new technologies in a real-world environment will allow Ford to fully understand the reach and applicability of these new data tools.” Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor
“At Ford, our commitment to safety extends beyond enhancing vehicle safety – we are just as committed to working with cities to help make our streets safer. With a platform like Safety Insights, our goal is to give cities like Windsor the tools and information they need to empower their decision-making abilities and improve the day-to-day lives of their residents.” Bill Frykman, Director, City Solutions, Ford Motor Company
“In 1904, Henry Ford opened his first Canadian operations in Windsor, Ontario. In 2021, we are honoured to continue this vision of a strong binational presence, and build our reputation as the Automobility Capital of Canada.” Stephen MacKenzie, President and CEO, WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation
About Ford Motor Company:
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 187,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.
About WindsorEssex Economic Development:
The WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation is the lead economic development agency for the Windsor Essex Region. The focus of the organization is to develop and execute strategies to retain, expand, attract and help new businesses start up in the Windsor-Essex region. The WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation is led by a board of distinguished community leaders. A team of professional staff will assist you with all your location and investment decisions by working one-on-one with businesses, to facilitate the process of starting, growing or locating in Windsor-Essex. choosewindsoressex.com
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Teliszewsky
Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office
P: 519 990.3035
Jason Moore
Senior Manager of Communications and Customer Service
P: 519 551.9011
