Every day, over 34 Filipinos die due to road accidents. In Metro Manila alone, collisions average more than 200 incidents daily. With such grim statistics, everybody hopes for the day when pedestrians are no longer threatened. Road safety can be better guaranteed, for anyone and everyone who traverse the streets. Invented by Filipino balikbayan, Debbie Macariola-St. John, Croxtec is an app designed to help pedestrians and motorists be more mindful of their own safety on the streets
After 40 years in the Bay Area and 24 years of work experience in the US automotive industry, Debbie came home and specifically chose the Philippines, her country of birth, as the pilot market of Croxtec. This pedestrian safety app is the flagship product of her up and coming technology ventures company, Djanco Information Technology Solutions.
The app is envisioned to help stem and stop the rising number of road fatalities from happening by providing an alert system to its users. Needing an internet connection in order to function, It is meant to help people become more mindful of the vehicles and pedestrians in the environment. You select whether you are a motorist or pedestrian and the app automatically sends you alerts. Croxtec has also identified, based on distance of vehicle to pedestrian and vice versa, a Safezone, Caution Zone, and Unsafe Zone. Given that both motorists and pedestrians need to be on the app and online at the same time, questions such as data access (and people who don’t have access to smart devices) as well as the data charges that would accrue for that—as data fees aren’t exactly the cheapest thing. Plus, to assume that all motorists—especially those who have no regard for basic traffic rules—would use the app is quite the long shot. While it is true that the app would be most helpful to people with disabilities, who are the most prone to accidents especially in a busy metropolis like Manila; personally, I believe it needs a bit more work in terms of it being used in scale.
With its pilot launch in the Philippines, which has some of the busiest streets, thoroughfares, and highways in Asia, Croxtec hopes to drive into a future where the country can join the ranks of smart countries on the global front, with safer roads for its pedestrians and motorists who traverse them every day. With Debbie at the helm, Djanco has taken on the role of creating digital products and applications to enhance smart city living while promoting a more organized and safe urban environment. Believing that Croxtec has a universal role to play, Debbie is quick to acknowledge that the mobile app will soon see action in Asia, and even in the USA and Europe in the short term, and possibly the rest of the world for the long haul.
To download the free app, visit the Google Play Store or go to www.croxtec.com.ph.
