A black box for 4 wheelers now

Ever wished you could have a gadget to spot any unsuspecting slip-up while driving your vehicle, especially when you have rented it out to somebody else?

Well, Dubai-based Comintouch Technology claims to have come up with a product  called ‘Smarty’ that does exactly this.

The company, which is the official distributor of Smarty in the GCC and India, will soon launch its in-car black box and in-car accident recorder.

The device, of Korean origin, can be attached to the vehicle’s windshield and during an impact such as a sudden braking or acceleration, will get detached and capture the 15 to 20 seconds before and the 5 to 10 seconds after the incident, which can be viewed frame by frame later.

“This product is quite useful for schools, rent-a-car companies or vehicles carrying FMCG goods, as companies can track the driver’s movement when the vehicle is out of their sight, said Pushkar Karnik, Marketing Consultant, Comintouch Technology.

However, the product is currently permitted only for corporate use. 

"Right now we have got approval from the Dubai Police only for corporate sale across the UAE. Currently, this product can only be bulk purchased  by corporates and not by individuals," said Karnik.

The company hopes to get approval for retail sale of this device and is planning to approach the RTA, he added.

“We are also planning to enter neighbouring countries with this product,” he added.

The device comes with a price tag of Dh1,500 and has an image sensor, with an built-in 2GB memory SD card and a rechargeable battery.

However, its memory can be upgraded upto 32GB, and the camera can work even in the dark at night.

Besides, the device has an internal GPS supporting the automatic GPS time synchronise function.

“If drivers of school buses, rent-a-car vehicles, or a commercial carrier are not following traffic rules, this product is very useful [in monitoring them].

This is a one-time purchase and you don’t have to make recurring expenditure on this product.

When drivers of school buses or rent-a-car companies, etc, know that each of their  movement is being monitored, they will not drive recklessly,” said Karnik.

Just like black boxes of aircraft, Smarty for 4-wheelers will not be destroyed in the hardest of accidents or even in case of total loss.

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