#Japan #Tokyo #Driving Safety #Sompo Japan #MEDEMIL

SOMPO Japan and MEDEMIL's Strategic Partnership

SOMPO Japan Insurance Inc., led by President Koji Ishikawa, has recently announced an official partnership with MEDEMIL, headed by President Mamoru Yanagimachi. This collaboration aims to create a safer and more secure driving environment for all drivers, especially seniors. They have signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate joint research that scientifically assesses drivers' capabilities and focuses on implementing research outcomes into society.

Motivation Behind the Partnership

Japan is currently facing the challenges of a super-aged society, with traffic accidents involving elderly drivers remaining a significant social issue. While driving is crucial for the social participation and quality of life (QOL) of the elderly, the aging population of professional drivers poses another serious problem in logistics and public transport sectors. Safety is paramount, especially as the infrastructure struggles under the burden of an increasing shortage of drivers.

In light of these challenges, the development of an environment that allows drivers to remain active while ensuring their safety is urgent. Additionally, as ridesharing becomes increasingly popular, establishing mechanisms to objectively assess driving abilities and manage safe driving practices is critical to guaranteeing passenger safety.

The partnership aims to address these complex social issues by leveraging scientific evidence to support all drivers in extending their ‘driving lifespans’ safely and effectively.

Overview of the Partnership

Under this collaboration, SOMPO Japan will utilize its vast pool of driving behavior data, collected from tools like drive recorders and insights gained through years of insurance and accident-related services. This data will be combined with MEDEMIL's innovative driving assessment technology, MEDEMIL Drive®, which assesses essential visual and cognitive functions critical for driving.

By merging these strengths, they plan to build a new system for comprehensive driving ability evaluation. This system will not only benefit individual and professional drivers but will extend to rideshare drivers as well, providing scientifically backed safety support to a larger audience.

Strengths of the Partners

1. SOMPO Japan's Advantages: The company boasts a long-standing customer base and vast data resources, supplemented by expertise in risk assessment and access to a network linked to care services through the SOMPO Group.
2. MEDEMIL's Technology: The MEDEMIL Drive® technology can quickly assess essential driving functions, including visual field depth, contrast sensitivity, and cognitive abilities. In as little as 90 seconds, it provides a complex evaluation of a driver’s capabilities using AI.

Future Plans

Both companies intend to advance joint research and performance trials targeting individual and professional drivers, aiming to enhance the accuracy of evaluation models and develop effective feedback mechanisms. Based on these results, they plan to collaborate with other partners, including rideshare companies, to effectively expand their services.

Ultimately, the vision extends beyond merely evaluating driving capabilities; it includes offering tailored training programs for individuals, aligning with SOMPO Group's caregiving services to create a comprehensive support system that assists individuals from securing transportation to providing lifestyle support post-license surrender.

This partnership marks a significant step towards addressing pressing societal issues while fostering innovative solutions for safe driving practices among all drivers.